This morning Florida House and Senate committees have been hard at work on Redistricting. The GOP has submitted maps which are likely to pass given the partisan conformity of the legislature. These maps submitted by the majority party reflect the arrogance and recklessness of the current leadership of the Legislature.
Having failed to deliver constitutionally legal maps after an extensive and costly reapportionment process in 2012, the GOP majority was called out by the courts in the form of a lawsuit brought forward by the League or Women Voters and other allied organizations. Yet the Republican leadership have acted like victims in this whole matter, whining about the need to remedy the unconstitutional representation for 1.3 million Florida citizens and now submitting a map which continues to lock in a blatant partisan advantage.
Flagrant disrespect for Florida’s voters who voted overwhelming the Fair Districts Amendment has been for the most part on display from the Legislature since 2012. In fairness, the Florida House took Fair Districts into strong consideration in the drawing of the State House map, but the Florida Senate drew a partisan map for its body and both chambers conspired to lock in a maximum partisan advantage in Florida’s Congressional Delegation. Despite having that Congressional map found unconstitutional by the courts, the Republicans fix-it proposal does little to remedy the problem. The proposal presented this morning in both bodies will cement the advantage the GOP has in the Congressional Delegation and does not fix the 10th Congressional District in a way that reflects the need for a representative and compact seat in a major urban/suburban area of the state. Instead the new map “packs” Democrats in adjacent seats and splits communities of interest in the new CD-10 to maximize Republican advantage.
The Republican Leadership has shown an absolute unwillingness to understand the gravity of this situation. The leadership continues to play politics and show the partisanship trumps common senses and the will of the people. The arrogance of this stand given the action of the courts is shocking. While this legislature has consistently insulated itself from the needs of Florida’s citizens on multiple issues depending largely on the decade plus long impotence of Florida’s Democratic Party to maintain power, this week’s new maps takes this attitude to a new level.
Given an opportunity to fix something which was the fault specifically of this very same Legislature, the leadership has dug a deeper hole. Sadly though, like so many other issues the ramification of this may not be felt for sometime. The Republicans are likely to maintain similar numbers or even gain seats in the Legislature in 2014. Perhaps, this action will be the trigger for a change that will come in the legislature in 2016. Florida’s citizens can only hope.
The Florida Squeeze 
The shifting of voters in the proposed plan represents less than 1% of all Florida voters. Arrogance certainly is the right word!
LikeLike
Does anyone have an explanation of thy Judge Lewis didn’t appoint a special master to introduce a non-partisan approach into the re-re-districting mess? I have zero confidence that the FL legislature will propose a map that complies with the fair districts law. It seems that the republican strategy is to drag this out pretending to comply with the court order then filing a lawsuit that will push elections into 2015. Given the do nothing Congress would anyone miss not having the Florida rep’s show up?
LikeLike
This map is not constitutional. The LWV map much better though that will hurt Gwen Graham.
LikeLike
Well surprises can be nice. Ill admit despite being supportive of NGS. You have absolutely killed it this week. GREAT stuff.
LikeLike
All FL voters should understand that the republican legislature did not allow the democrats a seat at the table. I don’t understand why the dems. didn’t push this. Why didn’t the court demand this bi-partisan co-operation and appoint a ‘special master’ to guide both parties.
LikeLike
YEAH!
Why didn’t the court just draw the lines?
The Republicans have politicized the process even more this time around. They have made the districts purely Republican. Locked in a permanent 17-10 advantage or 18-9 if Murphy flips.
LikeLike
I think a Special Master may be the next step. Judge Lewis will really be pissed if the GOP enacts another highly partisan & secretive reapportionment plan. He will likely reject it.
LikeLike
Will the LWV drag the GOP back to court? We can only hope!
LikeLike
[…] and partisan nature of Republican Legislative leadership took hold again producing a map that essentially continues the partisan gerrymander of Central Florida districts in […]
LikeLike
The RPOF is running out the clock.
LikeLike
No wonder and glad of it, I left the Dem.Party to become an Independent. Your party is so disorganized, so unprepared and so absent of any consciousness. When are the Democrats going to push for a seat at the table and a ‘special master’ to organize and trac reappointment? Forget about the Governor’s race, you’re too busy watching American Idol.
LikeLike
James, you are along in switching to being an independent. There are over 2.9 Million NPA and minor party registered voters in Florida. WE can’t vote in the closed primary system unless we register with the Republicans or Democrats. I’m part of a group called Florida Independent Voting.org (www.fivorg.com) that is pursuing a constitutional amendment in 2016 that will change our primary election system to a Top Two Open Primary like California and Washington State have successfully implemented. Consider joining our effort to give all voters a voice in the primaries. After all, our tax dollars pay for elections we can’t participate in. Not fair
LikeLike
Rau Hudkins: . . . Sounds good! Wish you the best!
LikeLike
The LWV attorney needs to demand this redraw be rejected and request he appoint a Special Master. Same old same old with the Republicans. They just can’t help themselves, and wouldn’t know how to act ethically regarding this matter if their lives depended upon it. And it doesn’t help that the Dems can’t seem to grow a pair and stand up to them!
LikeLike
[…] coordinated House/Senate strategy has been implemented. Instead the GOP is likely to get away with another partisan gerrymander that breaks up communities of interest and once again strategically splits Central Florida in order […]
LikeLike
[…] The arrogance of the Republican leadership embodied by the whining of legislators about being forced to fix maps that they had so egregiously erred in drawing as well as the willingness to draw a map that was equally partisan as a response demonstrates the view the leadership of the Legislature has towards the common citizens of this state. When given a chance for a do-over and an opportunity to right a wrong, the Republicans once again ch…. […]
LikeLike
For the record, these are the ineubmcnts who lost:Fred Cox (R) and Janice Fisher (D) were drawn into the same district. Cox lost to Fisher in November.Butterfield (R), Daw (R), Doughty (D), Hendrickson (D), Newbold (R), and Wright (R) failed to win renomination.Watkins (D) lost to a general election challenger in November.Wimmer (R), Sandstrom (R), and Herrod (R) left to run for Congress. Sumsion (R) ran for governor. Dougall (R) ran for state auditor. (Only Dougall was successful from this bunch.)Frank (R), Vickers (R), Painter (R), and Harper (R) left the House to run for state Senate. Vickers and Harper were successful.Litvack (D) and Kiser (R) chose to retire rather than run after being drawn into districts together with fellow ineubmcnts from their own respective parties.Morley (R) chose to retire from legislative service.
LikeLike