Supreme Court of Virginia to hold July session

The Supreme Court of Virginia will return to Richmond for a rare mid-summer special session on July 19 to deal with two politically charged issues: legislative redistricting and felon enfranchisement.

In the redistricting case, the court has been asked to rule on whether legislators have “official privilege” that protects their communications with staffers and consultants when planning new district maps.

The case before the high court is one of three recent lawsuits challenging Virginia legislative maps.

The felon case presents the constitutional question of whether Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe has the authority to grant blanket felon rights restoration, rather than acting on individual cases. Republican leaders say McAuliffe overstepped his authority in a move to bolster support for political ally Hillary Clinton.