Prince William County cut into five Senate districts

The state Sen­ate on Thursday passed a new plan redrawing Virginia’s legisla­tive districts just in time to allow House and Senate primaries to proceed as scheduled in August.

With bipartisan support and by a veto-proof 32-5 vote, the Senate paired its own revised boundaries for its 40 districts with the House plan for its 100 districts approved earlier this week.

Less than an hour later, the House approved the Senate’s ac­tion on a 63-7 vote, advancing it to Republican Gov. Bob McDon­nell. Two weeks ago, he vetoed a previous version of the legislative reapportionment bill, taking par­ticular aim at what he said was Democratic gerrymandering of the Senate districts.

The new map divides Prince William County among five Sen­ate districts, one more than the current map. The previously pro­posed Senate map divided the county among six districts.

The old Senate plan had crammed four GOP senators into just two districts in Hampton Roads and western Virginia, a partisan game of musical chairs guaranteed to oust two Republi­can incumbents.

The new one won over most Republicans by giving those four senators back districts of their own. But it pairs Republicans Fred Quayle of Suffolk and Harry Blevins of Chesapeake in one district and moves Quay-le’s old 13th District into the teeming subdivisions of Washington, D.C.’s, Virginia exurbs. “We negotiated in good faith with our Republican colleagues,” Sen. Janet Howell said shortly before the final Senate vote. She and three fellow Democrats had huddled privately for three days with four Senate Republicans to reach the compromise.

Even so, the Senate’s 18 Republicans met for hours behind closed doors over the changes they wanted, leaving the fate of the legislation in limbo just ahead of a Friday deadline for enacting new political maps without the threat of further postponing the 2011 legislative primaries, already moved back from June to August.

The Privileges and Elections Committee delayed its start at least three times before advancing the bill on a 12-3 vote. Then, before the full Senate could take up the measure, floor amendments were added to the bill putting Smith and Newman back in separate districts.

That provoked a series of rolling recesses by both the House and Senate while the amendments were prepared, leaving senators milling aimlessly about Capitol Square and the House of Delegates in limbo, waiting for the Senate to act.

Despite GOP support in the Senate vote, hurt feelings lingered.

“It’s a slight mischaracterization to say those on my side of the aisle have agreed to this,” said Sen. Thomas K. Norment, R-James City. “You can agree to something because you have no latitude, and it’s kind of like when you’re a child and your mom and dad put the meal in front of you and you either eat it or you don’t eat it,” Norment said. “My mom and dad said the kids in China are starving, so eat it.”