SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the media during a press conference at PortMiami on April 8, 2021 in Miami. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Florida Judge Strikes Down Part of 'Unconstitutional' Map Rigged by GOP Gov. DeSantis
"The enacted map is unconstitutional," said a circuit judge, "because it diminishes African Americans' ability to elect candidates of their choice."
May 11, 2022
A state judge on Wednesday invalidated part of Florida's new congressional map--drawn by right-wing Gov. Ron DeSantis' office and approved last month by the Republican-controlled Legislature--siding with plaintiffs who accused the GOP of violating the state constitution through racial gerrymandering.
Judge Layne Smith of the 2nd Circuit Court said that "the enacted map is unconstitutional because it diminishes African Americans' ability to elect candidates of their choice."
As The Guardianreported, Smith's ruling "dealt specifically with DeSantis' decision to dismantle Florida's 5th Congressional District," which "stretched from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, was 46% Black, and is currently represented by Al Lawson, a Black Democrat."
DeSantis, the outlet noted, "chopped the district up into four districts where Republican candidates would be favored to win." The new map, described as "deeply racist" by experts, would end Lawson's congressional career.
As Jacksonville's The Tributaryreported Wednesday:
[Smith] ordered the state to adopt a map that maintains an east-to-west version of Jacksonville's 5th Congressional District, stretching from Duval to Gadsden counties.
The ruling came after a Wednesday hearing that saw plaintiffs argue that Gov. Ron DeSantis' congressional map, which eliminated Jacksonville's current Black ability-to-elect district, violated the state constitution.
Equal Ground Florida, one of the civil rights groups that immediately challenged DeSantis' map after it was passed in the face of a sit-in staged by state Democrats, welcomed Smith's ruling.
\u201cThis is a great day!! We\u2019ve been fighting to protect Black Representation in Florida and today the courts determined Gov. DeSantis\u2019 map violates the state constitution. Official statement coming soon\u2026#StopTheBlackAttack\u201d— Equal Ground (@Equal Ground) 1652291586
"The Florida Legislature's redistricting maps in the 1990s and 2010s were similarly struck down, but in those cases, it took six years to get a final ruling," The Tributary reported. "This time, the plaintiffs sought to focus on getting a preliminary injunction redrawing North Florida's districts before the 2022 elections. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs are still seeking a full trial to get the whole map thrown out."
Smith is expected to release a written order by Thursday. DeSantis' office has vowed to appeal. It would first go to the 1st District Court of Appeals and could potentially end up at the Florida Supreme Court.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
A state judge on Wednesday invalidated part of Florida's new congressional map--drawn by right-wing Gov. Ron DeSantis' office and approved last month by the Republican-controlled Legislature--siding with plaintiffs who accused the GOP of violating the state constitution through racial gerrymandering.
Judge Layne Smith of the 2nd Circuit Court said that "the enacted map is unconstitutional because it diminishes African Americans' ability to elect candidates of their choice."
As The Guardianreported, Smith's ruling "dealt specifically with DeSantis' decision to dismantle Florida's 5th Congressional District," which "stretched from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, was 46% Black, and is currently represented by Al Lawson, a Black Democrat."
DeSantis, the outlet noted, "chopped the district up into four districts where Republican candidates would be favored to win." The new map, described as "deeply racist" by experts, would end Lawson's congressional career.
As Jacksonville's The Tributaryreported Wednesday:
[Smith] ordered the state to adopt a map that maintains an east-to-west version of Jacksonville's 5th Congressional District, stretching from Duval to Gadsden counties.
The ruling came after a Wednesday hearing that saw plaintiffs argue that Gov. Ron DeSantis' congressional map, which eliminated Jacksonville's current Black ability-to-elect district, violated the state constitution.
Equal Ground Florida, one of the civil rights groups that immediately challenged DeSantis' map after it was passed in the face of a sit-in staged by state Democrats, welcomed Smith's ruling.
\u201cThis is a great day!! We\u2019ve been fighting to protect Black Representation in Florida and today the courts determined Gov. DeSantis\u2019 map violates the state constitution. Official statement coming soon\u2026#StopTheBlackAttack\u201d— Equal Ground (@Equal Ground) 1652291586
"The Florida Legislature's redistricting maps in the 1990s and 2010s were similarly struck down, but in those cases, it took six years to get a final ruling," The Tributary reported. "This time, the plaintiffs sought to focus on getting a preliminary injunction redrawing North Florida's districts before the 2022 elections. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs are still seeking a full trial to get the whole map thrown out."
Smith is expected to release a written order by Thursday. DeSantis' office has vowed to appeal. It would first go to the 1st District Court of Appeals and could potentially end up at the Florida Supreme Court.
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
A state judge on Wednesday invalidated part of Florida's new congressional map--drawn by right-wing Gov. Ron DeSantis' office and approved last month by the Republican-controlled Legislature--siding with plaintiffs who accused the GOP of violating the state constitution through racial gerrymandering.
Judge Layne Smith of the 2nd Circuit Court said that "the enacted map is unconstitutional because it diminishes African Americans' ability to elect candidates of their choice."
As The Guardianreported, Smith's ruling "dealt specifically with DeSantis' decision to dismantle Florida's 5th Congressional District," which "stretched from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, was 46% Black, and is currently represented by Al Lawson, a Black Democrat."
DeSantis, the outlet noted, "chopped the district up into four districts where Republican candidates would be favored to win." The new map, described as "deeply racist" by experts, would end Lawson's congressional career.
As Jacksonville's The Tributaryreported Wednesday:
[Smith] ordered the state to adopt a map that maintains an east-to-west version of Jacksonville's 5th Congressional District, stretching from Duval to Gadsden counties.
The ruling came after a Wednesday hearing that saw plaintiffs argue that Gov. Ron DeSantis' congressional map, which eliminated Jacksonville's current Black ability-to-elect district, violated the state constitution.
Equal Ground Florida, one of the civil rights groups that immediately challenged DeSantis' map after it was passed in the face of a sit-in staged by state Democrats, welcomed Smith's ruling.
\u201cThis is a great day!! We\u2019ve been fighting to protect Black Representation in Florida and today the courts determined Gov. DeSantis\u2019 map violates the state constitution. Official statement coming soon\u2026#StopTheBlackAttack\u201d— Equal Ground (@Equal Ground) 1652291586
"The Florida Legislature's redistricting maps in the 1990s and 2010s were similarly struck down, but in those cases, it took six years to get a final ruling," The Tributary reported. "This time, the plaintiffs sought to focus on getting a preliminary injunction redrawing North Florida's districts before the 2022 elections. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs are still seeking a full trial to get the whole map thrown out."
Smith is expected to release a written order by Thursday. DeSantis' office has vowed to appeal. It would first go to the 1st District Court of Appeals and could potentially end up at the Florida Supreme Court.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.