Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) announced on Tuesday plans to reconvene the House on Sunday, October 21st at 5 p.m. to take up House Bill 7003. Cox says he expects the House of Delegates to also convene again on Monday morning.

“I am reconvening the House of Delegates on October 21st to fulfill our constitutional duty to pass a redistricting map. I am firmly against judicial overreach and allowing federal judges to draw the map. House Bill 7003 is a politically-neutral, race-blind redistricting plan developed with a bipartisan coalition of legislators who believe there should be a legislative solution.

“While we maintain the constitutionality of the bipartisan plan adopted in 2011 and will continue to pursue our appeal to the Supreme Court, we are also trying to meet the October 30th deadline set by the District Court. I have communicated our intentions to convene with Senate leadership.

“The bottom line is this is the constitutional responsibility of the legislature. It is my sincere hope that over the coming weeks Democrats make an honest effort find a bipartisan agreement on HB7003.”

# # #