Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday issued a proclamation to establish a special legislative session, following his veto of the state’s proposed congressional maps.
According to the governor, sections of the map approved by lawmakers are unconstitutional; therefore, they must be redrawn.
Specifically, DeSantis argues that the new boundaries for Congressional District 5, which is currently represented by Representative Al Lawson (D-FL-05), is a racial gerrymander.
“Congressional District 5 in both primary and secondary maps enacted by the Legislature violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because it assigns voters primarily on the basis of race but is not narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling state interest,” Ryan Newman, general counsel for DeSantis, wrote in a memorandum explaining the legal concerns.
Because of the proclamation, lawmakers must return to Tallahassee for a session that will last from Tuesday, April 19, to “no later than 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 22.”
“We have a responsibility to produce maps for our citizens that do not contain unconstitutional racial gerrymanders,” said Governor DeSantis. “Today, I vetoed a map that violates the U.S. Constitution, but that does not absolve the Legislature from doing its job. I appreciate the Legislature’s willingness to work with me to pass a legally compliant map this Special Session.”
Throughout the redistricting process, DeSantis has disagreed with Republicans in the state legislature. The governor has pushed for a map that will be more beneficial to Republicans. In January, he submitted his own congressional redistricting plan to be considered.
However, some Republicans voiced concern that, if an approved map favors the GOP too much, a court could strike down the measure. This could eliminate safe GOP districts if redrawn in a certain manner.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Florida Legislature” by Robert Barlow. CC BY 3.0.
