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<\/p>\nFlorida lawmakers approved a new congressional map proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis, sparking protest from Democrats who called it unconstitutional.<\/p>\n
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 Florida lawmakers moved forward Wednesday with a new congressional map following a contentious special session at the state Capitol, approving a proposal that could reshape the state\u2019s political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n
The map, introduced earlier this week by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is part of a broader national redistricting push ahead of this year\u2019s elections. Lawmakers approved the measure in both the Florida House and Senate on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
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If implemented, the new district lines could shift the balance of Florida\u2019s congressional delegation, potentially giving Republicans a 24-4 advantage.<\/p>\n
Democratic State Rep. Angie Nixon of Jacksonville disrupted House proceedings during the session, using a megaphone to protest the proposal.<\/p>\n
\u201cY\u2019all are doing illegal things. This is out of order!\u201d Nixon shouted during the floor debate.<\/p>\n
Nixon and other Democrats argue the map violates Florida\u2019s Fair Districts Act, which prohibits redistricting plans that favor a political party.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are violating the Constitution!\u201d Nixon said at one point during the session.<\/p>\n
Nixon said the proposal would reduce representation for minority communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was just brought forth to diminish representation in the Jewish community, the Black community and the Hispanic community,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a slap in the face because it\u2019s going to remove four congressional districts out of the hands of the Democratic Party.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also defended her actions in response to criticism over decorum.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to talk about I was lacking decorum, but what good is decorum if democracy is falling and they\u2019re violating the Constitution and passing illegal maps,\u201d Nixon said.<\/p>\n
Republican lawmakers defended the proposal, saying it reflects population growth and improves representation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe the map before us today is a good map and based on viable legal theories and likely to be upheld,\u201d said Republican State Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka.<\/p>\n
Republican Northeast Florida State Rep. Dean Black also supported the measure, calling it an effort to improve clarity in representation.<\/p>\n
\u201cProud to support new congressional maps that reflect our state\u2019s growth, respect community lines, and uphold the Constitution,\u201d Black said in a statement. \u201cNo more snake-shaped districts\u2014just clearer, more accountable representation for Floridians.\u201d<\/p>\n
The measure now heads to Gov. DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.<\/p>\n
Political experts say the map could face legal challenges that may affect whether it is implemented before the November midterm elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Florida lawmakers approved a new congressional map proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis, sparking protest from Democrats who called…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":252011,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-252010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=252010"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252010\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}