TALLAHASSEE — The Legislature and the League of Women Voters squared off Thursday before the Florida Supreme Court over the behind-the-scenes politics that led to the 2012 remapping of legislative districts by Republican lawmakers.
The Legislature argues that the Supreme Court should assert its "sole and exclusive jurisdiction" over redistricting and direct a lower court to dismiss a lawsuit by the League of Women Voters. That lawsuit challenges the validity of the House and Senate maps the Supreme Court blessed last year. read more »
News & Alerts
Redistricting battle returns to Florida Supreme Court
05/09/2013
Editorial: Email exchanges raise questions about Republican leaders and Florida's congressional redistricting
03/14/2013
The musical chairs played out last year in the campaigns for Congress in South Florida and the Treasure Coast largely were in response to newly drawn state voting districts. Emails released this month raise questions about the openness and transparency of the process used in creating those districts. read more »
More News & Alerts
Florida Redistricting Scandal Proves Democracy Cannot be Trusted to Politicians
02/07/2013
It appears that there is now clear evidence of what everyone who followed the once-in-a-decade state legislative redistricting process already knew: despite a new constitutional amendment forbidding legislators from basing boundaries on political calculations, that is exactly what they did. What's more, the audaciously brazen manner in which they disregarded the will of their constituents demonstrates a complete disregard for the democratic process that must be meaningfully corrected. read more »
Editorial: Truly fair districts
02/07/2013
If you can't win fair and square, change the rules.
That seems to be the motto in Republican-led efforts to change election laws, such as limiting early voting and altering the way that states award Electoral College votes. read more »
That seems to be the motto in Republican-led efforts to change election laws, such as limiting early voting and altering the way that states award Electoral College votes. read more »
In Florida, An Email Trail On Redistricting Raises Questions
02/05/2013
A lawsuit over congressional district lines in Florida produces emails showing coordination between lawmakers and Republican Party officials, which is prohibited by the state Constitution.
So what did lawmakers in Tallahassee do? The Republican leaders in charge of drawing new maps coordinated with Republican Party consultants to protect Republican incumbents.Florida voters in 2010 approved constitutional amendments by nearly 2-to-1 margins that forbade state legislators from coordinating wi read more »
So what did lawmakers in Tallahassee do? The Republican leaders in charge of drawing new maps coordinated with Republican Party consultants to protect Republican incumbents.Florida voters in 2010 approved constitutional amendments by nearly 2-to-1 margins that forbade state legislators from coordinating wi read more »
Legislative Redistricting Staff Used Private Emails to Coordinate With State GOP
02/05/2013
Amid a legal fight between voting groups and GOP lawmakers in Tallahassee, new evidence shows that the leaders of a redistricting effort last year allowed their staffs to use private email addresses and personal file sharing accounts to swap information with consultants from the Republican Party of Florida. The communications helped legislative staffers draw up districts friendly to Republican candidates — a violation of a constitutional prohibition of coordination with political parties. read more »
In Florida, An Email Trail On Redistricting Raises Questions
02/05/2013
Florida voters in 2010 approved constitutional amendments by nearly 2-to-1 margins that forbade state legislators from coordinating with political parties or favoring incumbents when drawing new congressional districts.
So what did lawmakers in Tallahassee do? The Republican leaders in charge of drawing new maps coordinated with Republican Party consultants to protect Republican incumbents. read more »
So what did lawmakers in Tallahassee do? The Republican leaders in charge of drawing new maps coordinated with Republican Party consultants to protect Republican incumbents. read more »
E-mails show plotting by lawmakers, GOP on Florida redistricting
02/05/2013
TALLAHASSEE — Florida legislative leaders appear to have authorized staff members to use private email accounts and had "brainstorming meetings" with Republican Party consultants to attempt to draw favorable political districts, despite a constitutional ban on such coordination.
The allegations arise from a lawsuit challenging the Senate and congressional redistricting that include emails showing how top aides to House Speaker Will Weatherford, Senate President Don Gaetz and several Gaetz consultants were in frequent contact with operatives who drafted and analyzed maps. read more »
The allegations arise from a lawsuit challenging the Senate and congressional redistricting that include emails showing how top aides to House Speaker Will Weatherford, Senate President Don Gaetz and several Gaetz consultants were in frequent contact with operatives who drafted and analyzed maps. read more »
