RVA Politics Profile picture
Sep 22, 2020 15 tweets 6 min read Read on X
Good morning VA! As early voting ramps up around the state, now’s a good time to remind you to Vote NO on Amendment 1, which supposedly ensures fair redistricting. I’m not convinced. Here's why:
#VoteNOon1
#Thread
1/
Background: you probably know that “redistricting” - drawing district lines for state legislature and Congress - is super important is for setting the political course of the next decade. So do politicians, which is why they try to control it
2/
A coalition pushed for fair, non-partisan process by 2019 deadline. (Constitutional amendment in VA needs GA to pass a resolution twice, then approved on voter ballot Q.) They didn't get it! Instead, they put in place a compromise
3/
That compromise is Amendment 1! It sets up a commission that will draw the maps for district lines, and then submit to the GA for an up-or-down vote. If voters approve it in November, it becomes part of the constitution. Yaybo! Only... 3 big problems:
4/
elections.virginia.gov/proposed-const…
First, “independent” commission is 8 citizens, but also 8 GA members (2 Dels/2 Sens from each party) chosen by party leaders. Citizen members are chosen from party leaders' lists as well. So the commission will be BI-partisan, but not NON-partisan.
5/
Second, if the commission/GA fails to approve maps, the process gets kicked up to VA Supreme Ct, which divided on partisan lines before, and they owe jobs to...the GA! Courts do resort to naked partisanship when stakes are high enough (just ask Al Gore)
6/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_v._G…
Third and worst: commission members have veto power. Any 2 citizen members or any 2 legislative members can refuse to approve ; plus a SINGLE Senator or Delegate can kill maps for their house. This gives a bad actor HUGE leverage
7/
Pro-Amendment folks say "enabling" legislation will "fix". GA Dems already passed good redistricting rules; why stick flawed process permanently in the constitution and hope GA makes it better if you don’t trust those GA members to do the job in the first place?
8/
@VaBlackCaucus says #VoteNoOn1 - no clear protections for minority voters OR selection process for minority commission members. Maybe y’all haven’t been paying attention recently, but #2020 does not seem like the best year to AGAIN ignore Black voices
9/

Guess who LOVES A1? #VAGOP. They say they want bipartisanship, but party out of power always says. Betcha they approved in 2019 because they saw #BlueWave coming and wanted to still put a thumb on the scale. In blue VA, this is best chance to amplify influence
10/
I would love process that “puts people over politicians.” But partisan control is so strong in A1 that you are essentially asking everyone to act in good faith. Anyone familiar with GOP over last few decades should be skeptical (Republicans know politics = pursuit of power)
11/
When minority party is better at process, and willing to do all to win, "will of the people" suffers. Nonpartisan = disarming two sides in a fight. BI-partisan = laying out the rules for a “fair fight”- only one side has a stick, and the other has a machine gun
12/
So: #VoteNoOn1. More here:
rvapol.com/blog/2020/9/22…
13/End
I've since been reminded that @VaBlackCaucus are technically split on A1 - Hey @JeffMBourne are you speaking officially here or just noting that many caucus folks are against?
Wish We could edit tweets #998: RE: supporters/coalition, I'm conflating "independent" commission they wanted and "non-partisan" (which they never really thought they could get)

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More from @rjmarr

Sep 3, 2021
As I prep my political theory class for this fall, I'm struck that one thing the TX abortion law should hammer home, and that some of us sometimes forget: conservatism is openly hostile towards individual freedom
#Thread
1/
As ideology, conservatism embraces ancient ideas of difference. Plato's Republic imagines world where people are sorted according to innate characteristics; Aristotle thought democracy was worst form of government. To Greeks, some people just better suited to rule than others
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In 1790, Brit Edmund Burke essentially launched conservatism by criticizing the French revolution. Liberty is fine, Burke argued, but what if it's the liberty of a "madman" or "murderer"? Freedom needs constraints, and isn't for everyone
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Read 12 tweets
May 6, 2021
As #VAGOP convention approaches, candidates talking about banning "critical race theory" from our schools. We know that racist appeals work on many white voters (hi Donald!) but this one is especially insidious. Here's why
#Thread
1/
First, #CriticalRaceTheory is term for some pretty high-level scholarship and theoretical work, like real pomo philosophy shit. Crenshaw, Delgado, Bell. Mostly influential in legal theory. Time mag explainer (h/t to @bluevirginia) is just fine:
2/
time.com/5891138/critic…
Key here: CRT is WAY less influential than critics claim, even in theory circles. Often mocked by traditional establishment voices. Just check this '98 Cornell law review article that claims to take CRT seriously, but actually drips w mockery/disdain
3/
scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewconten…
Read 10 tweets
Apr 16, 2021
Maybe you've seen this, but this week my students and I went on an eye-opening trip through the @americanpano Mapping Inequality project from @UR_DSL

#Redlining in #RVA: a quick #Thread
1/
Background: the federal govt's Home Owners' Loan Corporation was a New Deal org aimed at helping people keep their homes post-Depression. Financially, it did pretty well - even turning a small profit
2/
trumanlibrary.gov/library/public…
But to "help" mortgage lenders, they generated maps of urban areas, color-coded by how "secure" neighborhoods would be for home loans. Here's the RVA map - guess what they based "security" on?
3/
Read 9 tweets
Sep 26, 2020
Happy weekend VA! Earlier this week I tweeted out #VoteNoOn1, the redistricting commission amendment. I'm still a No, but feel a Prof's need to clarify after hearing from some folks on both sides
#Thread
1/
Earlier I said we all want Non-partisan, but even A1 supporters say that's basically impossible. What we actually want is INDEPENDENCE. Current SB 5015 tries to specify criteria for citizen members beyond "party picks" so it would help if passed
2/
But doesn't get over the fact that legislators are on the commission, and that one or two of them could use their veto power for mischief. In an uneven partisan environment (where GOP routinely kicks Dems' ass on process/power) I don't see a way around that
3/
Read 9 tweets
Sep 15, 2020
Anyone check out the #RVAProtests "112 Days" show on @CBS6 last night? You can watch it on MSN (linked below), but I did so you don't have to. Two big thoughts:
#Thread 1/

msn.com/en-us/news/us/…
First, the doc not great on repping protestors. Some efforts to give voice to protest, but probably not central figures. I get it - it's hard to parse, there's no "President of the Movement," and lots of folks probably didn't want to talk
2/
But still - why so much freakin' Mark Holmberg? Why let him complain that protestors marched at Lee Circle but not Gilpin Court- and then ignore multiple anti-eviction actions?
3/
richmond.com/news/local/wat…
Read 9 tweets
Sep 3, 2020
Twitter made me mad today. Must be time for an #RVAMayor Campaign thread!

Incumbent Mayor Stoney says "I choose Richmond." WTF does this mean? Lots of things. But it also suggests a campaign strategy

1/
Stoney's tenure has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Before #GeorgeFloyd, it seemed the failed #NavyHill development would be the albatross that possibly ended his career. But the #BLM protests have made his re-election prospects even trickier
2/
A lot of folks, largely conservatives and property owners, oppose protests by default. They don't understand them, & rely on media and authorities who continue to refer to "violence" and "looters" to de-legitimize any political claims that animate them
3/
Read 15 tweets

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