It’s the measure that led Democratic lawmakers to stage a protest in Tallahassee and now voting rights groups are calling the state’s new district lines “intentionally racially discriminatory.”In the amended complaint that was filed on Friday night, Florida’s NAACP, Common Cause Florida and Fair Districts Now argue that Gov. Ron DeSantis pressured the Florida Legislature into passing his redistricting plan.”The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, bullied the Florida Legislature into adopting congressional map, based on invidious discrimination against Black Floridians,” the groups said.The plaintiffs were first asking judges to step in to make sure districts are set before this year’s elections in their original federal lawsuit. Tensions filled the building as the House prepared to vote on the plan during special session in April.Republicans like Brevard County’s Randy Fine, argued that drawing districts to make sure there’s minority representation is itself, “racist.””See, when we guarantee that a group of people gets to select a candidate of their choice, what we are saying is we’re guaranteeing those who are not part of that group, get no say,” Fine said during special session. A staged protest by democratic lawmakers called the maps “government overreach”. After the new redistricting plan was passed, the state argued that the federal lawsuit brought by the voting rights groups was moot.In the newer version, the groups say the governor “bullied” the Florida Legislature into approving the plan based on racial discrimination and allege that’s what violated the 14th and 15th amendments. The groups say the maps were drawn in order to deny the votes of Black Floridians and to prevent them from electing the candidates of their choice in North Florida and the Orlando area.The lawsuit is calling on the court to declare the redistricting plan unconstitutional and or to create a new congressional map that does not violate anyone’s rights. WESH 2 is waiting to hear back from the governor’s office for comment.
It’s the measure that led Democratic lawmakers to stage a protest in Tallahassee and now voting rights groups are calling the state’s new district lines “intentionally racially discriminatory.”
In the amended complaint that was filed on Friday night, Florida’s NAACP, Common Cause Florida and Fair Districts Now argue that Gov. Ron DeSantis pressured the Florida Legislature into passing his redistricting plan.
“The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, bullied the Florida Legislature into adopting congressional map, based on invidious discrimination against Black Floridians,” the groups said.
The plaintiffs were first asking judges to step in to make sure districts are set before this year’s elections in their original federal lawsuit.
Tensions filled the building as the House prepared to vote on the plan during special session in April.
Republicans like Brevard County’s Randy Fine, argued that drawing districts to make sure there’s minority representation is itself, “racist.”
“See, when we guarantee that a group of people gets to select a candidate of their choice, what we are saying is we’re guaranteeing those who are not part of that group, get no say,” Fine said during special session.
A staged protest by democratic lawmakers called the maps “government overreach”.
After the new redistricting plan was passed, the state argued that the federal lawsuit brought by the voting rights groups was moot.
In the newer version, the groups say the governor “bullied” the Florida Legislature into approving the plan based on racial discrimination and allege that’s what violated the 14th and 15th amendments.
The groups say the maps were drawn in order to deny the votes of Black Floridians and to prevent them from electing the candidates of their choice in North Florida and the Orlando area.
The lawsuit is calling on the court to declare the redistricting plan unconstitutional and or to create a new congressional map that does not violate anyone’s rights.
WESH 2 is waiting to hear back from the governor’s office for comment.
