The Florida House passed a revised map of the state's Congressional districts Tuesday. It's the third such design the Republican-controlled chamber has approved since the once-a-decade redistricting process began in 2012.
The map, which won approval in a 76-35 vote, was crafted by House staffers to satisfy concerns by the Florida Supreme Court. In July the high court struck down the current design in a landmark ruling. The court found that eight Congressional districts had been gerrymandered to benefit Republicans, a practice outlawed by the 'Fair Districts' amendments approved by voters in 2010.
Despite the chamber's speedy passage of the adjusted map, many Republicans were dismissive of what they called the high court's overreach in ordering new boundaries.
"The Supreme Court does have the ability and the power to do what thye need to do as part of one of the branches of our government," said FL Rep. Bob Cortes, R-Maitland. "However the manner that's been played out - the 100-day constraint and everything else, making things being a rush, rush, I believe does not help the political process."
Within moments of the new map's passage, House leaders made it clear more work might lie ahead. The Republican-led Senate will convene Wednesday and is set to take up a map that differs from the lower chamber's version. Some Senate Republicans insisted on changing the contours of what they view as an unfair Supreme Court dictate.
If the Senate passes its differing version, the two chambers would have to reconcile their differences, a process that may require extending the Legislature's redistricting special session beyond its scheduled Friday conclusion.
"There's obviously a concern or fear that we'll be here longer, and wasting taxpayer dollars when something simple could have been done," said FL Rep. Dwight Dudley, D-St. Petersburg. "We could have followed the spirit of the Fair Districts amendments to get it right, to do it once and for all, not three times. This is ridiculous.
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