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Redistricting Do Over Begins

August 10th, 2015 by Mike Vasilinda

Florida lawmakers are back in the state Capitol tonight after a court ordered them to redraw the states congressional maps for a third time. Twice the courts have ruled the maps were unconstitutionally drawn to favor partisan interests. Now, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, even those involved doubt lawmakers can be trusted to do the job.

Lawmakers have already spent more than eight million dollars defending the illegal maps they have drawn, only to lose twice.

Now they are back at the Capitol for a third bite at the maps. They were ordered to redraw two districts a year ago. Now they are redrawing 22 of the 27 districts. Unlike past attempts, they say they are now keeping partisan politics out of the map drawing. Senator Bill Galvano is the Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee. We asked if members were talking to political consultants, a practice that lead to the current special session.

“No..not that I’m aware of…and after the lengthy litigation we’ve been through, I don;t think anyone has any interest in doing that” replied Galvano.

House minority leader Mark Pafford doubts  the job will get done any more fairly than before.

“Staff has drawn a map. Legislators apparently have no idea about the reasons behind it” says Pafford.

The League of Women Voters is calling for an independent commission to draw the maps. Rep. Evan Jenne (D-Broward) is introducing a bill to do just that.

Q:”Every time this has come up before, people have said you can’t take politics out of politics” we asked.

“And that’s the fight…we’re trying to do the impossible.  To get that to happen. To remove as much politics as humanly possible.

Even as the new map drawing begins, two law suits threaten their implementation.

One challenges the Fair Districts Amendment on free speech issues..suggesting political consultants are being denied access. The other is from a Jacksonville Congresswoman who will lose her Jax to Orlando seat in the redrawing effort.

Lawmakers have until August 22 to craft new maps. They are due back in court in late September.

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