A U.S. judge has ruled that a congressional map approved by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and drawn by his staff is unconstitutional because it divides an area where black voters can elect their representatives.
By BRENDON FARINGTON Associated Press
11 May 2022, 20:11
• 3 minutes reading
Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Email this article
TALAHASI, Florida – A congressional map approved by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and drawn by his staff is unconstitutional because it divides a county where black voters can elect their representatives, a U.S. judge said Wednesday.
Leon Lane County Judge Smith said he would issue a formal order Thursday or Friday to prevent the election cards from taking effect in November. He made it clear that he would speak in favor of the voting rights groups challenging the cards.
Smith said the order is likely to replace the DeSantis card with one of two that the legislature included in a bill and sent to DeSantis in March. The governor vetoed the bill and later convened the legislature again in a special session. The Republican-dominated House of Representatives and Senate chose not to draw a new map and instead switched to the DeSantis map.
The challenge focuses on an area of North Florida now held by US Democratic Representative Al Lawson. The area stretches from Jacksonville to the west for more than 200 miles (322 kilometers) to Gadsden County and almost half of its population is black.
“The judge acknowledged that the card was illegal and reduced the ability of African Americans to elect representatives of their choice,” Lawson said in a statement emailed to the press. “DeSantis is wrong to introduce this Republican map, which is a clear violation of US and state constitutions.”
DeSantis’ proposal sparked a protest by Black House members as the House prepared to vote on the cards.
Smith said he would issue his order as soon as possible so the state could appeal immediately. Maybe the conservative state Supreme Court will eventually resolve the dispute.
The DeSantis office has confirmed that it will appeal.
“As Judge Smith has hinted, these complex constitutional legal issues will always be resolved on an appellate level,” DeSantis spokeswoman Tarin Fenske said in an email. “We will no doubt appeal his decision, and we are confident that the constitutional card introduced by the Florida Legislature and the signed law will pass legal collection.”
Smith said that while the DeSantis card is more compact, the issue of allowing black voters to elect their representatives is more important.
“The district, which has since been adopted and signed by the governor, is indeed spreading 367,000 African-American votes between four different counties,” Smith said in a video interview with the two countries. “African Americans are not nearly a majority or a majority”
Equal Ground, one of several voting groups to challenge the cards, praised Smith’s decision.
“No Florida resident – including Gov. DeSantis – is above the law,” Equal Ground founder Jasmine Bernie-Clark said in a statement emailed to newsrooms. “This is a step forward in the fight to protect black voters, and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that our votes are heard.”
The governor’s office drew up a map that it described as race- and party-neutral, which they said complied with both the state and federal constitutions.
Smith said his decision would be based on the US Constitution, not the US Constitution.
The qualification for the federal service will last from June 13 to 17.
———
This story has been edited to correct a word in the judge’s quote of “nowhere” and not “no way”.
Add Comment