Let's talk about the Virginia Supreme Court overturning the wishes of voters.... - Belle of the Ranch

[TexasTowelie]

Well, howdy there Internet people. It's Belle again. So, today we're going to talk about the Virginia Supreme Court overturning the wishes of voters.

After the voters made their decision in Virginia about redistricting, we talked about how the Republican party actually had a decent chance of overturning the will of the American people via the courts on procedural grounds. Well, that happened. The Virginia Supreme Court blocked the new congressional map from taking effect. This gives the Republican party a huge boost in their quest to maintain control of the House over the will of the voters. The ruling was 4 to 3. The entire case hinged on procedural grounds.

Chief Justice Cleo Elaine Powell issued the dissent. "Today, the majority has broadened the meaning of the word election as used in the Virginia Constitution to include the early voting period. This is in direct conflict with how both Virginia and federal law define an election."

When you're questioning whether Republicans actually care about the Republic, remember that this is the second time they've gone to court to get judges to tell the American people that they don't know what they want. They lost in California and won in Virginia.

Republican representatives don't want to represent you. They want to rule over you. You're a commoner and need to just do what your betters in the party tell you to do. You don't get to decide what you want, even when you vote. You must trust Big Brother. He knows what's best for you. Just look at how inflation is down and how cheap gas is and how we're not involved in unnecessary wars, right?

Let's be super clear on something. The entire redistricting effort is evidence that Republicans know their policies are unpopular and hurting Americans so much that they'll vote them out. But rather than change their policies so they benefit the American people instead of Trump's friends, they'll redistrict the country to make sure the American people don't have a clear voice. The redistricting effort also shows that they have zero intention of changing course.

Fixing the problems they created would be something they could run on, but they're not. They're just intent on trying to gerrymander so those people who they know are obedient to them over their own interests can overwhelm voters who want the basic American dream.

The Democratic Party's main method to overcome Republican gerrymandering will be driving voter turnout. The majority of Americans are being hurt by Trump's policies and the Congressional Republicans who have allowed him to run amuck without checking his executive power as the Constitution requires.

So, the goal for Democrats should be to get as many people to the polls as possible. Given the trends in special elections, there are a lot more districts in play than usual, and the Republican gerrymandered maps may end up dummymanders. There's going to be doom and gloom in the Democratic party, but it's worth noting they still have the momentum.

Virginia's Attorney General Jay Jones, who is a Democrat, said the court put politics over the rule of law. He went on to suggest that this isn't over, and added, "My team is carefully reviewing this unprecedented order, and we are evaluating every legal pathway forward to defend the will of the people and protect the integrity of Virginia's elections." The state can still take the case to the US Supreme Court, but it's unclear how that will play out.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. A Private Call Reveals Democrats' Desperation Over Tossing of Map (NYT gift article)

I personally believe that given the ruling by Alito and other GOP gerrymandering, the steps outlined here are appropriate.

Link to tweet

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/10/us/politics/democrats-virginia-plans-gerrymandering.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hVA.KzAI.Wf17nRa9PSjl&smid=nytcore-ios-share

During a private discussion on Saturday that included Democratic House members from Virginia and Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader, the lawmakers vented anger at their defeat at the Virginia Supreme Court, spoke about a collective determination to flip two or three Republican-held seats under the existing map and discussed a bank-shot proposal to redraw the congressional lines anyway, according to three people who participated in the call and two others who were briefed on it.....

Any plans to enact a new congressional map for this year’s midterm elections would require action in the next few days. In a court filing last month, Steven Koski, the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections, said any changes to the maps after Tuesday, May 12, “will significantly increase the risk” of his agency being unable to properly prepare for the state’s scheduled Aug. 4 primary election......

One key to the plan would be having Democrats in Richmond lower the mandatory retirement age for state Supreme Court justices, an idea that began circulating among state lawmakers and members of Congress after a column proposing a version of the idea was published on Friday night in The Downballot, a progressive newsletter.

Ms. Spanberger would have to sign off on any legislation that lowered the judicial retirement age. She has not been briefed on the proposal, the people involved in the discussion or briefed on it said. Her spokeswoman, Libby Wiet, declined to comment.

The first step in the process, as discussed on the delegation’s call, would be to invoke a January ruling by a circuit court judge in Tazewell County, Va., that said the 2026 constitutional amendment effort to redraw the maps was invalid because county officials did not post notice of it at courthouses and other public locations three months before a general election.

Representative Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat who represents Loudoun County, Va., said in an interview that he supported doing whatever was necessary to preserve the map voters approved in last month’s referendum — including replacing the state’s Supreme Court justices.

“Everyone has got to have a strong stomach right now; this is a complete disaster waiting to happen if people are timid,” said Mr. Subramanyam, who was on the Saturday call. “We have Republican states ignoring their constitutions and interrupting early voting and ignoring their Supreme Courts all together. We know based on that, Republicans would explore every single option possible to move this forward.”....

In an interview on Friday night, before his Saturday meeting with Virginia lawmakers, Mr. Jeffries said he was “exploring how to unravel this decision.”

“It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment, and it’s unprecedented in American history as far as we can tell that an actual election has been overturned by a handful of unelected judges,” Mr. Jeffries said. “We’re not going to step back, we will continue to fight back.”

This is a very aggressive plan which could backfire. However, this plan may be necessary to stop trump's gerrymandering.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. Dems eye 'audacious' secret plan to oust entire blue state Supreme Court: report

Given the outrageous ruling by SCOTUS, the GO P actions taken in Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama, these steps are appropriate. The GOP cannot claim clean hands given the steps taken by SCOTUS and these states.

Dems eye 'audacious' secret plan to oust entire blue state Supreme Court: report

DO IT! Get creatove Dems. No shame. No "but my precious decorum". Fight. The. Fascists. #Virginia

www.rawstory.com/virginia-red...

— br00t4c (@br00t4c.bsky.social) 2026-05-10T19:51:47.254Z

https://www.rawstory.com/virginia-redistricting-2676875271/

Congressional Democrats are quietly kicking around a long-shot scheme to clear out Virginia's entire Supreme Court, which just torched their gerrymandered congressional map.

During a private Saturday call that included Virginia's Democratic House delegation and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), lawmakers vented over Friday's ruling and floated what The New York Times described as "an audacious and possibly far-fetched idea" to replace every sitting justice and reinstate their map, according to a Sunday report.

The scheme includes lowering the mandatory judicial retirement age from 75 to 54 — the age of the youngest current justice — forcing all seven off the bench. Virginia judges are appointed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, which could then stack the court with friendly replacements.

"The conversation reflected the desperation and fury that have gripped the party after the state Supreme Court struck down a favorable map that had been ratified by voters," the Times wrote, calling the mass ouster the "most dramatic idea they discussed."

The idea reportedly drew "mixed reactions" on the call, and Democrats did not land on a path forward. Gov. Abigail Spanberger has not been briefed, her spokeswoman told the Times. Former Rep. James Moran (D-VA) warned the gambit would be "just a bridge too far" and could backfire.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), who was on the call, told the Times he supports doing whatever is necessary, adding: "Everyone has got to have a strong stomach right now; this is a complete disaster waiting to happen if people are timid."