A federal court ruled voting rights advocates could add intentional racial discrimination claims to their lawsuit challenging Florida’s Congressional redistricting plan.

Back in March when it looked like the Governor and the Legislature were unlikely to agree on a congressional map, FairDistricts Now and Common Cause filed a case in federal court (Tallahassee) asking the court to adopt a map if the legislature and the governor could not agree.

Late Friday night, Common Cause Florida and other plaintiffs filed their response with the Court along with an amended complaint alleging intentional discrimination.

Common Cause Florida, Fair Districts Now, and a diverse group of individual plaintiffs from across the state filed a federal lawsuit today in the Northern District of Florida arguing that the court must step in to ensure that voters, candidates, and elections officials have a fair and representative congressional map in ample time for the 2022 elections.

Earlier today, a panel of national and Florida redistricting experts briefed the media on the history and state of play in the current redistricting cycle. The panel discussed past legislative action and litigation to end partisan and racial gerrymandering in the state. They also described how to implement an accountable and transparent process that results in fair district maps.