Democracy Wire

Week eight of the 2016 Florida legislative session is over and there was action on issues that are priorities for Common Cause Florida. Unfortunately, one of our top priorities failed to make it out of its last committee stop this week and the committee is not scheduled to meet again. All of the legislation we once considered problematic has been neutralized to the point that Common Cause Florida is no longer opposing it.

Week two of the 2016 Florida legislative session is over and there was action on issues of concern to Common Cause Florida. The big news this week came on Wednesday when the Florida Senate announced it would not appeal a Leon County judge’s ruling on a Senate redistricting plan.

Week two of the 2016 Florida legislative session is over and there was action on issues of concern to Common Cause Florida. The big news this week came on Wednesday when the Florida Senate announced it would not appeal a Leon County judge’s ruling on a Senate redistricting plan.

The Florida legislature continues to prepare for the 2016 legislative session holding a final week of committee meetings. Also this week, the Florida Supreme Court upheld Circuit Judge Terry Lewis’s decision in favor of a congressional district map submitted by Common Cause Florida and the League of Women Voters of Florida. The Supreme Court’s decision means the Common Cause/League of Women Voter’s map is now the new congressional district map for Florida, barring any successful future legal challenges.

Legislative report from Florida legislative interim committees in preparation for the 2016 session.

At almost half-way through the Florida Legislative session, an important ethics bill passed the Senate Ethics & Elections Committee. The same committee also amended our on line voter registration bill onto a elections administrative package supported by the Supervisors of Elections. However, an announcement that the House Governmental Operations Committee will hold no further meetings, puts the on line voter registration bill in jeopardy.