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By JOHN GOOLRICK
Rappahannock News Special Writer
Two committees of the Virginia General Assembly have formally started a redistricting process that ma, ‘H” an' . ' 'If to complete and generate even more controversy than the state’s last two court-contested reapportionments.
Even before the process started, in fact, there were already cries from some quarters that the seven public hearings scheduled by privileges and elections committees of the House of Delegates and State Senate were a sham designed by Democrats to cloak their gerrymandering efforts.
That contention, voiced by some Republicans, was based on the fact that official federal census figures won’t be available until late February or March.
That being the case, said the GOP, the public had insufficient’information to make known its views on redistricting during the seven hearings around the state, held earlier this month.
But Democrats who control the committees argued that preliminary population estimates have been released and are certainly accurate enough to allow the two committees to begin the work that will lead to a special redistricting session in April.
“We’re not only holding hearings,” said Del. V. Earl Dickinson of Louisa, a ranking Democratic member of the House P&E Committee,
“we’re also holding workshops for loV
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