Floridians and advocates are encouraging lawmakers to focus on real issues like affordability instead of wasting time on an illegal partisan mid-decade redistricting effort after watching the first House redistricting meeting today.

Polling shows Floridians oppose both mid-decade redistricting and partisan gerrymandering — including a plurality of Trump voters. Citing that data, along with the long list of affordability challenges facing the state, advocates gathered after the meeting to make Floridians’ views clear.

“The only reason this is happening is because Republicans and Democrats across the country are redrawing maps to get their party more seats in Congress in next year’s election. That’s illegal in Florida. Floridians overwhelmingly rejected partisan redistricting 15 years ago, and they still reject it today,” said Amy Keith, Common Cause Florida Executive Director. “The number one issue facing Floridians is our affordability crisis. Legislators should be focused on that. Playing with map rigging is a waste of time and a sign they won’t put Floridians first.”
“Make no mistake. No politician or political party is entitled to a single seat in Congress. It is the people of Florida who are entitled to fair maps and equal representation,” said Jonathan Webber, Florida Policy Director with the Southern Poverty Law Center. “If the Legislature redraws these maps based on partisan gains, they will violate the Florida Constitution. They will waste taxpayer money. And they will deepen the mistrust voters already feel about whether their leaders respect the rule of law. Every hour spent on baseless mid-decade redistricting is another hour lawmakers are not addressing the urgent economic challenges facing Florida families.”

“Florida’s Governor and legislative leaders are attempting something unprecedented, dangerous, and fundamentally undemocratic: a mid-decade redistricting process designed to tip the scales of political power and weaken the voice of everyday Floridians” said Genesis Robinson, Equal Ground Executive Director.