VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Gov. Youngkin proposed putting a reenactment clause on a bill to change the city charter to a 10-1 system.
That would require the General Assembly vote on the bill again next year.
"We were extremely disappointed," said Dr. Eric Majette, the president of the Virginia Beach branch of the NAACP.
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State leaders looking to pass Virginia Beach 10-1 voting system bill
This back and forth has been going on for months and has lots of moving parts.
Last year, the city council voted to approve moving to a 10-1 voting system.
This would mean people living in ten specific geographical parts of the city would only be able to vote for one council member and then the mayor, who represents the entire city.
Previously, all voters could vote for all 11 members.
Georgia F. Allen was one of the voters to sue the city over the old system, pushing for change.
"It allows more diversity and that is in every area," said Allen. "There are more young people on the Virginia Beach City Council. There are more people of color on City Council. There's more diversity in the background of careers."
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Virginia Beach NAACP, residents raise concerns over opposition to voting system
In order to permanently move to a 10-1 system, the General Assembly has to change the city charter, which they approved during the session, despite some concern there wouldn't be enough votes.
The governor has now proposed amending the bill.
"For them to say they want to delay and drag their feet," said Allen. "It's not in the best interest of the citizen."
Gov. Youngkin's press secretary told News 3, "The Governor’s amendment is needed because it provides time to fully consider the implications regarding specifics of the current pending litigation."
The lawsuit being referred to was filed in January by several people, including former city council member Linwood Branch, which is challenging the new system.
Lawmakers will return to Richmond in April to consider the governor's actions.
The City of Virginia Beach sent News 3 this statement regarding the governor's action:
"The City of Virginia Beach remains hopeful that the Governor will ultimately sign SB189. This item was included in City Council's approved legislative packet following a robust community engagement campaign where a third party, randomly sampled, statistically representative survey found that 81% of our community supports the 10-1 system. The 10-1 system complies with the Virginia Voting Rights Act, and it was successfully used in the 2022 elections."
