Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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August 18, 2011

Legislators begin to tackle redistricting errors

By BILL ARCHER Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD — The West Virginia House of Delegates will return into session at noon today to continue the work of drawing new lines for the state’s 100 delegate districts. The initial draft failed gubernatorial muster due to overlapping district lines in Kanawha and Morgan counties. However, fixing the problem won’t be as easy as one, two, three.

“From a procedural standpoint, the bill will either come straight out to the floor or go into committee,” Delegate John R. Frazier, D-Mercer said. “It has to go through first reading (today). It’s possible that the leadership could call for a vote, but it’s not likely that the bill would get a four-fifths vote for passage, so it will probably go to committee.”

Frazier was appointed to the House redistricting committee. “I haven’t heard about any planned delays, but I’ll say that the state and its people would be best served if we go ahead and finish this redistricting this week. I think I’ve heard it costs $35,000 per day to keep us in special session. We need to finish this.” Frazier said that without suspending the rules, the earliest that the House could vote on the bill would be on Friday.

“I don’t think you’ll see a quick, immediate in and out,” Delegate Marty Gearheart, R-Mercer said. “I don’t know what it’s going to be like (today). I think the majority party will call for a vote to suspend the rules, but I think there are enough votes in the minority party as well as some from the majority party to stop that effort. I plan to pack for the weekend.”

Gearheart said that he continues to oppose the plan contained in the bill the House passed during the last special session. “I do not plan to support patching together a bad plan,” he said.

The director of a group called WV Citizen Action said legislators should fix the technical problems, get on with the business of improving conditions in the state. “The average voter wants government to work to improve services, grow decent-paying employment and keep the state moving forward, not haggle over political boundaries,” Gary Zuckett, executive director of WV Citizen Action was quoted in the press release as stating.

Zuckett also called for an “impartially appointed commission” to undertake the next redistricting in the state.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

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