That would be a fig leaf, albeit a skimpy one, behind which Republicans could conceal an immodest preoccupation with extending their control of the General Assembly at a time when Virginia, in general, is tilting to the Democrats.

There have been other examples of this during the 2017 session.

Among them: a tweak to the state constitution allowing the legislature to veto regulations written by the executive branch to carry laws passed by the General Assembly.

Republicans also pushed for a recalibration of the process for restoring a felon’s voting and civil rights that, depending on your perspective, would all but zero out the governor in a protocol that had been exclusively gubernatorial for more than a century.

Republicans, shut out of all statewide offices, may be far less enthusiastic about such proposals should one of their own succeed Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. In a word, they would be unnecessary.

Prevailing on summary judgment also would allow Republicans to continue running down the clock and preserve through the November election the existing House of Delegates districts that have produced their 2-to-1 majority.