Electoral Reform Becomes a Hot Issue in Florida

02/04/2012

Florida League of Women National Council of La Raza and Common Cause Letter to Chairman Weatherford

01/26/2012
Dear Chairman Weatherford:

Thank you for your letter, which we received late in the evening of January 24, 2012, inviting us to participate in your meeting on January 27, 2012. We are pleased that the Committee will consider our proposals for Florida's Congressional and House districts at that meeting, but regret that the Committee will not consider our proposed Senate districts. As you know, our proposed House districts are nested within our proposed Senate districts. Thus, it is critical to consider the two proposals together. read more »

Fla. Redistricting Process Getting Heated

11/21/2011
The holidays are shaping up to be a busy time for Florida lawmakers. With the annual legislative session starting two months early, they're focusing on the task of redrawing the state's political maps, but the process is already behind schedule. read more »

Redistricting, a Devil's Dictionary

11/02/2011
Redistricting should be a way of ensuring your vote counts. If all districts have roughly the same number of people in them and are drawn to respect natural communities — neighborhoods where people share a heritage, work in the same industry, or just generally feel tied to their neighbors — voters have a chance to be represented by politicians who represent their areas' collective interests read more »

Editorial: Legal efforts by Florida House of Representatives to quash Fair Districts amendments expensive, unseemly

10/20/2011
What's wrong with this picture?

Everything.

In November, 63 percent of Florida voters approved the "Fair Districts" amendments. Among other things, these citizen-sponsored initiatives are designed to restrict political gerrymandering of state legislative (Amendment 5) and congressional (Amendment 6) districts, make districts follow natural boundaries wherever possible, and ensure districts do not favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent. read more »

Florida Legislature to Appeal Voters' Redistricting Victory - Using Their Money!

10/04/2011
Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon has announced that he will join the legal efforts of Corrine Brown (D-Jacksonville) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Miami) in appealing the decision of a federal judge in Miami who threw out their original suit. read more »

Fla. House still fighting redistricting amendment

09/29/2011
The Florida House is appealing a court ruling upholding an anti-gerrymandering amendment to the state constitution.


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Obey court, and the people

09/15/2011
The first sentence of the Florida Constitution reads: "All political power is inherent in the people." A federal judge understands. So should some of the politicians who supposedly represent the people of Florida. read more »