MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kenny Colston: 502-214-3732 | kcolston@commoncause.org
Vanessa Harmoush-Ising: 720-338-7673 | Vanessa.Harmoush@SPLCenter.org
Damien Filer: 850-212-1858 | Damien@ProgressFlorida.org

Advocates are urging House legislators to steer clear of mid-decade redistricting,which shows signs of partisanship and is therefore illegal. Advocates’ warning comes after the latest committee hearing where lawmakers tried to build their legal defense while silencing public opinion: the public was not allowed to speak or  even  submit paper or electronic speaker cards. 

In the latest case, Abbott v. League of United Latin American Citizens, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Texas conducted mid-decade redistricting for partisan purposes, which is allowed under federal law after Rucho v. Common Cause (2019). Justice Alito directly writes in his concurrence in the case “that the impetus for the adoption of the Texas map (like the map subsequently adopted in California) was partisan advantage pure and simple.”

With partisan advantage the clear goal of the nationwide mid-decade redistricting push, advocates are again encouraging lawmakers to drop the idea of unpopular and illegal partisan redistricting in Florida. 

“Floridians reject mid-decade redistricting and partisan gerrymandering. The Supreme Court has named what’s going on in Texas as partisan gerrymandering, which is explicitly unconstitutional in Florida. It’s time to end this charade of mid-decade redistricting and focus on the needs of Floridians, like our affordability crisis,” said Amy Keith, Common Cause Florida Executive Director.

“Floridians have made it abundantly clear they oppose any effort to draw our maps for partisan reasons. Not only is it against the law, but it is impractical and would further complicate our elections administration process. We call on the Legislature and Governor to abandon this unnecessary attack on our democracy and focus on the issues that help move Florida forward.” said Genesis Robinson, Executive Director, Equal Ground Action Fund.

“In Florida, lawmakers aren’t allowed to adjust our political maps like a fantasy football roster,” said Jonathan Webber, Florida Policy Director, Southern Poverty Law Center. “If there is no court order and no new Census, then the only reason left for mid-decade redistricting is seemingly politics, and politics is not a lawful justification for redistricting in Florida.”

Polling shows Floridians oppose both mid-decade redistricting and partisan gerrymandering — including a plurality of Trump voters.