Facing GOP pushback, House Democrats rally around bill to amend charter for Virginia Beach elections

RICHMOND — Democrats are rallying around a bill facing pushback in the House of Delegates that would enshrine Virginia Beach’s recent transition to a City Council with solely single-member districts into the city’s charter.

“The people of Virginia Beach asked us to make this change,” Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler, D-Virginia Beach, said at a Monday news conference. “As legislators, we should be in the business of listening to our constituents.”

Convirs-Fowler introduced the bill in the House, while Sen. Aaron Rouse, another Virginia Beach Democrat, carried it in the Senate.

The city’s voting system was overhauled as a result of a lawsuit filed in 2017 that alleged the at-large system that allowed residents from across the city to vote in every council race was illegal. A federal judge agreed in 2021, finding the at-large voting system was unconstitutional because it diluted minority voting power.

The court imposed a ward-based election system for Virginia Beach, while appointing a special master to draw 10 new voting district maps. The so-called 10-1 system includes 10 districts — representatives must live in their district and only residents who live in the district can vote for their representative — and the mayor is elected at-large.

Rouse’s measure sailed through the Senate with unanimous support, but Convirs-Fowler is facing some opposition. Last week, the bill passed the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee with a narrow vote of 12 to 9 that fell on party lines with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed.

Virginia Beach’s charter change over its election system hits speed bump at General Assembly

Opposing lawmakers have shared concerns about a new lawsuit several Virginia Beach residents filed Wednesday in state court. The lawsuit contends the city “illegally manipulated the Virginia Beach electoral system by eliminating three at-large seats that are expressly established under the City Charter,” and deprived the rights of voters.

Del. Anne Ferrell Tata, R-Virginia Beach, was among those who voted against the bill. She declined to discuss her concerns Monday.

“I understand there is litigation underway, and as a rule we don’t talk about pending legal action,” she told The Virginian-Pilot.

Another Virginia Beach Republican who voted against the bill in committee, Barry Knight, did not return calls seeking comment. But the delegate previously cited the lawsuit as a concern.

“I understand there is going to be a lawsuit filed on this because they are not sure if the proper procedure was followed,” Knight said at a subcommittee hearing earlier this month. “… A lot of times we don’t move bills forward when they are (regarding issues) in litigation.”

A charter change amendment requires a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber of the General Assembly to advance. Democrats hold a 51-49 majority in the House.

Cozy Bailey, president of the Virginia NAACP, argued at Monday’s news conference that some legislators were simply reluctant to embrace change.

“There has been a wave of changes; the demographics of this country continue to evolve,” Bailey said. “It is very difficult for those who have held on to power for whatever reason for a long time to accede that power.”

Rouse agreed.

“Change is hard for some folks, but change nonetheless is here,” he said. “There is a new era in the city of Virginia Beach where everyone has a voice, everyone has a say so, and everyone can elect someone from their district to represent them.”

The bill has been passed by on the House floor for several days, but is expected to be heard later this week.

To hedge their bets in case the bill doesn’t advance, state Democrats are also proposing a general law change. Del. Alex Askew is proposing HB409, which “allows the governing body of a locality that has been subject to a court order imposing a remedial election system under voting rights laws to adopt an ordinance to convert one or more at-large members of such body to single-member districts.”

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com