The U.S. Supreme Court late Friday turned down Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones’ appeal on redistricting.
The action marks the end of Virginia Democrats’ attempt to redraw congressional district lines in time for the November election.
The Supreme Court offered no comment on why it would not hear the appeal, although the denial was widely expected by both parties.
The Virginia Supreme Court, in a 4-3 ruling last week, had ruled that the redistricting amendment was unlawfully placed on the ballot because the General Assembly’s first vote on the amendment came after early voting had begun last year. The state constitution requires the legislature to pass a constitutional amendment twice before it goes to voters; the court ruled the early voting meant the election was already underway when the amendment passed the first time.
Republicans were jubilant. “The Supreme Court of the United States has affirmed what we always knew: you cannot violate the Constitution to change the Constitution,” said Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover County.
State Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, was one of the plaintiffs in the case that that began with a victory in Tazewell County Circuit Court that was then upheld in the Virginia Supreme Court. He said in a statement: “The U.S. Supreme Court tonight just reaffirmed what we in Virginia already knew: that our circuit court and state Supreme Court were absolutely correct in rejecting the Democrats’ attempt to violate our constitution, and silence millions of Virginians’ voices in the congressional political process. We all need to remember this when voters go to the polls, both during the upcoming election this November, and in our subsequent state elections for years to come.”
This is a breaking news story. We will update this story as it develops.
Elizabeth Beyer has contributed to this report.