Virginia lawmakers on Friday approved a resolution enabling voters to decide if lawmakers temporarily can bypass the commonwealth’s independent redistricting commission to redraw congressional seats mid-decade when another state does the same. File Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Jan. 16 (UPI) — Virginia voters will have the final say on a proposed congressional redistricting in the commonwealth after the state Senate passed a redistricting amendment Friday.

A majority of Virginia voters must approve of the amendment to the commonwealth’s constitution during an election to be held in the spring.

Virginia Democrats say the change is needed to counter redistricting efforts initiated by Republicans in Texas and Democrats in California, the Virginia Mercury reported.

Republicans call the move an effort to seize power and bypass the will of Virginia voters, who voted to establish the commonwealth’s independent redistricting commission in 2020.

The resolution’s sponsor, Del. Rodney Willett, D-Henrico, said the amendment creates a “narrow, temporary exception” for congressional redistricting.

That exception would occur while the Democratic Party holds 21 Virginia Senate seats to 19 for Republicans, and 64 House of Delegates seats to the GOP’s 36.

If voters approve the measure, it would allow Virginia to redraw its congressional districts, but not its commonwealth districts, whenever another state engages in redistricting beyond the traditional 10-year cycle or in response to a court order.

The proposed change would enable commonwealth lawmakers to revise Virginia’s congressional districts instead of its bipartisan redistricting commission.

Democrats hold six of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts and want to gain three or four more via redistricting.

If approved by voters, the measure, House Joint Resolution 4, would expire in 2030, thereby requiring a similar action if future legislatures want to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts in response to redistricting efforts elsewhere.

The Virginia Department of Elections shows several special local elections, but no statewide elections are scheduled ahead of the commonwealth’s June 16 primary for U.S. Senate, House and local offices.

Picketers hold signs outside at the entrance to Mount Sinai Hospital on Monday in New York City. Nearly 15,000 nurses across New York City are now on strike after no agreement was reached ahead of the deadline for contract negotiations. It is the largest nurses’ strike in NYC’s history. The hospital locations impacted by the strike include Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, Montefiore Hospital and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo