With just days left in the 2022 session, Florida’s redistricting has been left in limbo on Friday with Republican-controlled Legislature approving the doomed congressional maps’ set that Gov. Ron DeSantis has pledged to veto.
Split largely along party lines, Florida’s House and Senate have passed the new map that would let the GOP likely pick up two seats and dismantle the north Florida congressional seat held by Rep. Al Lawson.
After picking up a new seat during the once-in-a-decade census, Florida needs to redraw its districts but instead is raising a host of legal questions since it’s just one of four states left in the nation without approved congressional maps.
DeSantis announced on Twitter that he will veto the congressional reapportionment plan that was being debated by the House at the time even though the new map approved by Republicans would increase their advantage.
DeSantis said that he would not back down because he and his lawyers had legal concerns even though Senate Republicans contended the latest proposal was constitutional, while Senate Democrats lashed out at DeSantis arguing that he wants to remove Black districts.
The new map was approved in the Florida House by a 67-47 vote – seven Republicans voted with Democrats against the proposal- while the vote in the Senate was 24-15.
One of the Democrats, Senator Audrey Gibson, broke ranks and voted ‘yes’. Considering the fact that he’s leaving office due to term limits, Gibson could now run in the new district that Republicans crafted to replace Lawson’s seat.
Lawsin, on the other hand, claims that the maps the Legislature approved are in violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act as well as Florida’s anti-gerrymandering Fair Districts provision.
He claims the new redistricting will ultimately lead to Black voters in North Florida having less electoral power.
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