Associated Press: “The Supreme Court of Virginia, now tasked with drawing new legislative districts in the state to conform with the 2020 census, has told Republicans to submit three new nominees to help it in its task amid complaints that they are too partisan. In a unanimous ruling signed by the chief justice, Donald Lemons, the court said the nominees ‘must be neutral and must not act as advocates or representatives of any political party.’
“Democrats had objected to the three nominees put forth by Republicans, saying all three had a history of partisanship that was disqualifying. Republican legislative leaders defended their nominees and said Democrats’ objections were ‘a media and mud-slinging attack meant to dirty the process before it even starts.’ The court’s order outright disqualifies one of the three nominees and expresses that the other two have similar conflicts. The order requires Republicans to come up with at least three more nominees by Monday.
“The court also rejected one of the three nominees put forward by Democrats. The ruling said that nominee had cited his own reservations about working under the process set forth under Virginia law. Democrats were told to submit at least one more name by Monday.”