BREAKING: Emergency Stay Denied in Tazewell
The Supreme Court of Virginia denied an emergency stay of last week’s ruling in Tazewell County, preventing the Virginia Department of Elections from certifying...
The Supreme Court of Virginia denied an emergency stay of last week’s ruling in Tazewell County, preventing the Virginia Department of Elections from certifying — and thereby enacting — last week’s constitutional amendment:
For prognosticators, this is a sign that SCOVA really meant what it said regarding whether or not their ruling on the merits of this case would in any way be swayed by the outcome of the referendum.
Short answer? Absolutely not.
Now for perspective, this is merely a ruling on the emergency stay — it is not a ruling on the merits of the case. Yet if one is reading the tea leaves such as they are, this is an extremely positive leaf. Virginia Democrats had been banking on creating certain facts before walking into the court, one of them being an overwhelming victory for the referendum where the Supreme Court of Virginia could not deny the public will.
Instead, Virginia Democrats may have just thrown a very expensive and ultimately thin gossamer over the ugliness of their position only to discover that it will not do the trick.
Election day begins when voting begins, words still mean things, and law and constitution consisting of words, they may very well have hoisted themselves on their own petard having spent years arguing that Election Day can be strung out over 45 days only to — just now — magically rediscover the definition of the word “day” as a discrete moment in time.
Nevertheless, while the rejection of the stay doesn’t necessarily bear on the merits of the case, it is a very good sign that the Supreme Court of Virginia isn’t looking for shortcuts, nor will it be bullied into making its call.
SHAUN KENNEY is the senior editor of The Republican Standard.
Originally published by Shaun Kenney at The Republican Standard Substack. Republished here at Virginia Liberty.
