TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB\/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – A newly passed congressional map is on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis after state lawmakers approved it during a rapid special session vote.<\/p>\n
The vote happened the same day the U.S. Supreme Court issued a major redistricting decision in Louisiana.<\/p>\n
The legislature approved the new map within 72 hours of seeing it, as redistricting laws are changing across the country.<\/p>\n
Democrats protest rapid approval<\/p>\n
State lawmakers quickly passed new congressional boundaries in this week\u2019s special session despite protests from Democrats on the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are really upset by this. We went through redistricting recently. We\u2019ve been told to follow the law. We fought against those bad maps then,\u201d said Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the Democratic minority leader.<\/p>\n
Supreme Court ruling weakens Voting Rights Act<\/p>\n
While Florida lawmakers debated, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Louisiana case dealing with the Voting Rights Act, the case DeSantis cited as the reason for calling this special session.<\/p>\n
The court\u2019s Wednesday decision weakens protections against discrimination in redistricting, saying states can\u2019t rely too heavily on race when drawing districts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the state of Florida, we have an evolving legal landscape. We have evidence that the Florida Supreme Court will recede from precedent,\u201d said Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, R-Fort Myers.<\/p>\n
DeSantis\u2019 office told lawmakers race wasn\u2019t used to draw Florida\u2019s new map. Political data was used despite Florida\u2019s Fair Districts Amendment banning political gerrymandering.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis map is based on a viable interpretation of both the Florida and United States constitutions,\u201d Persons-Mulicka said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe we\u2019ve applied the data to the law,\u201d said Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes.<\/p>\n
Voters, local officials oppose mid-decade redistricting<\/p>\n
Amy Keith of Common Ground said the Supreme Court decision doesn\u2019t change Florida\u2019s constitutional protections.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Supreme Court decision today doesn\u2019t change that at all. States have the purview to make partisan gerrymandering illegal in their states. That\u2019s what we did, that\u2019s what the people of Florida did. And again we know from poll after poll, the people of Florida, that\u2019s still what they want,\u201d Keith said.<\/p>\n
Last month, an Emerson Poll found 56% of Florida voters think mid-decade redistricting is a bad idea.<\/p>\n
Republican Manatee County Commissioner George W. Kruse also posted a letter urging lawmakers to vote no.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis map is not in the best interest of our residents, whom you represent,\u201d Kruse wrote. He later posted, \u201cStand up for the People; not the Party.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several lawsuits are ready to be filed on the federal and state levels.<\/p>\n
See how your state lawmaker voted:<\/p>\n