Florida Lawmakers Again Fail In Redistricting Effort

Date: August 24, 2015

Attempts To Draw New State Congressional Boundaries Fail After Court Mandate

 

In the latest round of political maneuvering at the cost of taxpayers, Florida’s Senate and House on Friday ended a special session without an agreed-upon redistricting plan. The New York Times noted that the special session was ordered after Florida’s Supreme Court found the state’s current Congressional districts to be “unconstitutionally gerrymandered” and ordered a redistricting. Instead of coming up with a plan during the special session, the House and Senate “snubbed each other’s redrawn maps” and were ultimately unable to agree on last-minute attempts to present the court with a single plan. The standoff was said to be due to one amendment from State Senator Tom Lee that would redraw a US House district in his area to the east of Tampa that would have likely forced two GOP House members to compete against one another in a primary.

What Happens Next

The court will hear from both the state House and Senate on Tuesday, and has several options. The court may accept one of the maps it is presented with, siding with either the Senate or House, or it could draw its own district map. Finally, it could extend the Oct. 17 deadline given to the legislature to come up with a plan and order yet another costly special session. Florida Senate president Andy Gardner warned, “If we don’t come to a resolution we will move into unchartered territories with the courts drawing a congressional map.”

What This Means For Small Businesses

Florida’s small business owners should be frustrated by this lack of leadership in their state Legislature. Small business owners in Miami and across the state need to know who their representatives are, and delays in the redistricting process only serve as a frustrating reminder of government bureaucracy and uncertainty.

Additional Reading

NFIB previously reported on earlier attempts by Florida’s legislature to draw new Congressional boundaries.

Note: this article is intended to keep small business owners up on the latest news. It does not necessarily represent the policy stances of NFIB.

Related Content: Small Business News | Legal | Miami, FL

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