Despite protests from Democratic members who staged a sit-in to put the legislative body into break, the Florida House of Representatives approved the state’s new congressional map on Thursday, Fox News informed.
According to The Miami Herald, the protest began soon before noon, when Democratic state Representative Yvonne Hinson was shut off after surpassing her five-minute limitation.
State Representative Angie Nixon then marched to the middle of the chamber, waving a banner and wearing a “Stop the Black Attack” T-shirt under her jacket.
Several other people have joined her, including state Representative Dotie Joseph, who indicated that the Republicans are being swayed by “the adversary.”
The sergeant-at-arms put the House under lockdown when Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls called the chamber into recess and Republicans made their way out of the room.
Sprowls asked the members to come back into the session saying that he does not believe that any member has the chance to stop the process and shut down a job we were assigned to do by members of the public and the people of Florida.
He also added that they will be finishing their job while the Democratic members tried to shout him down.
“Stop the Black attack!” two members chanted as the House voted 68-38 to accept the revised map.
The House vote came just one day after the Florida Senate adopted Governor Ron DeSantis’ proposed plan on a party-line vote.
The map, which would see Republicans gain four congressional districts while losing three presently controlled by Democrats, will pave the path for significant Republican gains in the state.
Opposers of the new map allege that it is a form of racial gerrymandering, claiming that it discriminates against Black Floridians by dividing a majority-Black district.
Any legal objections against it are unlikely to be resolved before the November election.
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