How Virginia Democrats can overturn the redistricting ruling: Retire the Supreme Court — The state Constitution gives lawmakers complete latitude to set the judicial retirement age. They should use it.

Virginia Democrats are looking for a way to overturn the state Supreme Court’s Friday decision invalidating the constitutional amendment temporarily adopting new congressional districts that a majority of voters ratified last month. They have a simple—and lawful—solution: Send the entire court into early retirement.

Article VI, Section 9, of the Virginia Constitution gives the legislature unlimited authority to set the retirement age for judges. It specifies, “The General Assembly may also provide for the mandatory retirement of justices and judges after they reach a prescribed age, beyond which they shall not serve, regardless of the term to which elected or appointed.”

This number is arbitrary. States around the country with similar laws mandate retirement across a wide range of ages. Virginia lawmakers can simply lower theirs. Make it 54 for Supreme Court justices—the age of the youngest justice, Stephen McCullough, who joined the majority opinion—and make it take effect immediately.

https://www.the-downballot.com/p/how-virginia-democrats-can-overturn