Virginia Republican House Speaker Shows Integrity And Class

Republican Representative William Howell, Speaker of the Virginia House of Representatives, ruled that a Senate redistricting bill which had been added to a bill calling for minor “technical adjustments” to House districts.  Virginia Senate Republicans tacked on a 36-page floor amendment that redrew Senate lines across the state. That amendment, Howell ruled, was not germane to the original bill.

The redistricting plan, which received national attention when Virginia Republicans took advantage of the absence of a Democrat regarded as a civil rights leader, who was away attending President Obama’s inauguration. The measure likely would have passed in the House had it gone to the floor for a vote. But Speaker Howell had the power to make it go away. Had it passed the House, it would almost certainly have led to a court challenge, since the Virginia Constitution stipulates that redistricting be done the year following the decennial census.

It's a pleasure to read of an action based on a legislative official's sense of integrity. Well done, Speaker Howell!