Months after a state lawmakers abandoned a special session aimed at figuring out how to redraw Florida's obviously unfairly-drawn Congressional district maps, instead opting to abandon it in disarray, a Leon County judge has recommended that maps drawn by the plaintiffs in the case that brought the suit on in the first place be used.That means Pinellas County's 13th Congressional district will likely be significantly more Democratic than it currently is, Hillsborough's 14th might become slightly (but not meaningfully) more Republican and GOP Congressman Vern Buchanan's Sarasota-area district may shift northward a tad.
All this and more, assuming the state Supreme Court accepts the maps.
Even though the map isn't technically final, the plaintiffs are elated.
"This is a great day for the citizens of Florida, especially the 3.1 million voters who enshrined in the Florida Constitution, standards of Amendment 5 and 6 in 2010 that have led us today to finally have Fair Congressional Districts in Florida," Pamela Goodman, president of the Florida chapter of the League of Women Voters, said in a written statement."It has been a 76-year long battle of the League of Women Voters of Florida but the decision today is all about following the law of our land and not partisan politics," said Pamela S Goodman, President of the League of Women Voters of Florida."
Justice. Prevails.
The map debacle stemmed from a ballot initiative voters passed in 2010 that mandated lawmakers draw fair Congressional and legislative districts during their once-a-decade redistricting sessions. When it became apparent, after a 2012 session, that they had not done this, the League of Women Voters and a number of other groups sued.
The legislature will also have to redraw the state's Senate district maps this month.