Re-Redistricting
March 13th, 2012 by flanewsFlorida lawmakers begin a once a decade “extraordinary” session tomorrow because the state Supreme Court found the maps they drew for state senate districts were invalid. The court found problems with the way eight districts were drawn, as well as the way they were numbered in an effort to protect incumbents. District lines in North Florida were drawn east to west. The court says north to south lines would have made the districts more compact. Senate Redistricting Chairman Don Gaetz of Niceville says he’s ready to listen to the courts.
“And we are pleased that thirty-two of our forty districts have been approved by the court, and we’re going to go back and make the adjustments the court asked in the other eight districts. We don’t plan to be involved with changes in any districts that have been approved by the court,” said Gaetz.
The court also found problems with two districts in Northeast Florida and four districts in South Florida. Lawmakers have two weeks to correct the problems pointed out by the court. If they fail, the court will have sixty days to draw the maps.
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