ith Florida’s election schedule in disarray after a judge ruled the state’s congressional map unconstitutional, state lawmakers moved one step closer to resolving the uncertainty during a special session on Friday in Tallahassee. Redistricting committees for both the state House and Senate on Friday approved a redesigned congressional map — drawn in private by the two Republican committee heads, members of their staff and outside lawyers — that they expect will comply with the court’s orders. The redrafted map makes relatively minor changes to the two congressional districts that were ordered redrawn: the Fifth District, held by Representative Corrine Brown, a Democrat, and the 10th District, held by Representative Daniel Webster, a Republican. In all, seven districts in Central Florida would be slightly affected by the rejiggered map, which is expected to be approved early next week by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature.
“We were able to get further than I imagined,” said Senator Bill Galvano, the chairman of the Senate’s reapportionment committee, summing up the rush to redraw the map.
But the League of Women Voters of Florida, part of a coalition that sued the Legislature over redistricting, said the new map fell short of the court mandate. The new boundaries still pack African-Americans into the Fifth District, the group said, benefiting Republican incumbents in surrounding districts.
The coalition submitted its own revised map, which received lukewarm support in the Legislature and was rejected by the Florida N.A.A.C.P.
Full Article: Florida Redraws an Election Map That Was Ruled to Be Unconstitutional – NYTimes.com.