Redistricting wrangling goes to Supreme Court
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Voting-rights groups went to the state Supreme Court on Monday as they try to keep alive the possibility of blocking a congressional redistricting plan that would make it harder to elect a Black U.S. House member this year in North Florida. The filing by attorneys for the groups and other plaintiffs was the […]
Appeals court won’t send congressional redistricting challenge to FL Supreme Court
A state appellate court has refused to transfer litigation over Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to erase a Black-access congressional District to the Florida Supreme Court, increasing the likelihood the governor’s plan will apply during this year’s primary and general elections. The First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee said No to the request by voting-rights groups including […]
Florida’s counsel argues nixing Gov. DeSantis’ map would be racist and partisan
‘Plaintiffs hope to mask their partisan intentions as race-consciousness.’ A lawsuit claims a congressional map signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis was “infected by racial discrimination.” But Attorneys for Secretary of State Laurel Lee argue preserving a North Florida district as it was configured the last three election cycles would be the true racist decision — and one that unfairly […]
State appeal puts redistricting ruling on hold
Little more than an hour after a judge issued a temporary injunction against a new congressional redistricting plan, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration Thursday launched an appeal that put the ruling on hold. Attorneys for Secretary of State Laurel Lee, a defendant in the lawsuit filed by voting-rights groups and other plaintiffs, filed a notice of […]
Florida’s outrageous, illegal gerrymander
Tallahassee lawmakers recently ratified redistricting legislation to rig our upcoming Congressional elections. Floridians may not yet grasp the implications of the Legislature’s capitulation to the governor on this. His enacted map is radical. It blatantly violates Florida’s Constitution. While debate about the map has highlighted equality issues, you cannot miss its bottom-line: a Republican majority […]
Revised complaint: DeSantis congressional redistricting plan targeted Black voters
Fresh arguments filed in a federal legal challenge to Florida’s new congressional redistricting plan accuse Gov. Ron DeSantis of blatant racism in diminishing Black voters’ ability to elect candidates of their choice in North and Central Florida. In an amended complaint filed Wednesday in Common Cause of Florida v. Lee, civil rights groups allege the governor […]
Florida voting rights groups hope to rush redistricting case to state Supreme Court
Pointing to “urgency” as the 2022 elections near, attorneys for voting-rights groups requested Friday that a battle over a new congressional redistricting plan be put on a fast track to the Florida Supreme Court. The attorneys filed a court document seeking to essentially bypass the 1st District Court of Appeal, a procedural move known as […]
Michele Rayner leaves CD 13 race for another run at the state House
Rayner will stay in the state House to fight Gov. Ron DeSantis, who she calls a ‘monster’ and ‘tyrant.’ State Rep. Michele Rayner will not seek the Democratic nomination in the race to represent Florida’s 13th Congressional District. She will instead run for re-election in the state House, albeit in a newly drawn district. Rayner said her […]
Federal challenge to Florida redistricting expands, alleges map dilutes Black voting power
The NAACP came on as a plaintiff and Gov. DeSantis has been named as a defendant. Judges in federal court this week allowed a lawsuit over Florida’s redistricting process to expand an argument. Plaintiffs in the case will now argue a map signedby Gov. Ron DeSantis violates the U.S. Constitution. “For over a century, both government officials and […]
DeSantis appeals Florida judge’s order blocking his redistricting map
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis has appealed a state judge’s order blocking the Republican governor’s congressional redistricting map, the latest move in the long-running fight over redistricting in the state. Secretary of State Laurel Lee filed a notice of appeal to the 1st District Court of Appeals on Thursday night, which […]
