A Leon County judge on Tuesday postponed a decision about Florida’s still incomplete congressional redistricting map after Republican legislative leaders failed to agree on how to redraw the boundaries. During a hearing, Judge Terry P. Lewis of Florida’s Second Circuit Court said he did not have the authority to resolve the map dispute without the approval of the Florida Supreme Court, which ruled in July that the current redistricting map was unconstitutional. The judge said he would send a request for guidance to the State Supreme Court on Wednesday.
While the Legislature has until mid-October to complete a congressional map, a draft of the redistricting proposal was supposed to be ready in time for Tuesday’s hearing. But a special legislative session ended Friday without a plan. “I’m just going to ask them what they want me to do,” Judge Lewis said.
The State Supreme Court ordered the Republican-dominated Legislature to redraw eight congressional districts after ruling that the Legislature had drawn the boundaries to favor Republicans and incumbents, against the wishes of Florida voters.
Full Article: Judge Doesn’t Settle Bitter Dispute Over Florida’s Redistricting Plan – The New York Times.