Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called for a special legislative session in April to address the state’s voting maps. This move has drawn criticism from Common Cause Florida, a nonpartisan government watchdog group.
Amy Keith, Executive Director of Common Cause Florida, responded to the announcement with concerns about the timing and intent behind the session. “Calling an April special session is a dirty attempt to pass an unconstitutionally partisan map so close to an election in the hope that there isn’t time for a court to toss it. Florida is not a party to any current Supreme Court redistricting cases, and the Callais decision will not require Florida to act. Once again, partisan gerrymandering is explicitly illegal in Florida and Floridians both reject partisan and mid-cycle redistricting. Florida’s leaders should follow the law and public opinion,” Keith said.
Recent polling indicates that most Floridians do not support mid-decade redistricting or partisan gerrymandering. This opposition extends across party lines, including among many Trump voters.
