Tomblin pens House redistricting bill
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia’s House of Delegates has a new map.
Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Friday signed legislation that distributes the House’s 100 seats among 67 delegate districts.
That’s up from the current 58 districts. The new plan also increases the number of single-seat districts from 36 to 47.
But advocates of 100 single-seat districts oppose the plan. Democrat Thornton Cooper has already advised state officials that he will sue. GOP officials and lawmakers are also weighing a legal challenge.
The redistricting process followed the 2010 Census. The Eastern Panhandle and Morgantown areas gained population. The southern coalfields saw declines.
Friday’s bill replaced one vetoed last month because of technical errors. Tomblin earlier signed state Senate and U.S. House redistricting bills.
The new maps take effect with the 2012 elections.
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