Current:Home > InvestDeal over Florida’s redistricting plan could lead to restoration of Black-dominant district-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Deal over Florida’s redistricting plan could lead to restoration of Black-dominant district
lotradecoin beginner trading guide View Date:2024-12-25 17:18:13
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Voting rights groups that sued state officials over a Florida redistricting plan championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis have agreed to narrow the scope of the lawsuit to a single congressional seat that was redrawn and diminished Black voting power in north Florida.
The agreement reached late last week opens the possibility that the seat will be restored to a district dominated by Black voters, depending on how a state judge rules and whether the judge’s decision survives rounds of appeals all the way to the Florida Supreme Court, according to court filings in Tallahassee.
DeSantis, a candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, was criticized for essentially drawing Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, who is Black, out of office by carving up his district and dividing a large number of Black voters into conservative districts represented by white Republicans.
The lawsuit will now focus on that one seat and will drop similar concerns for redrawn congressional districts in central Florida and the Tampa Bay area. It also will abandon two other claims.
In their lawsuit, the voting rights groups had claimed the redrawn congressional map violated state and federal voting rights protections for Black voters.
Florida’s population of 22.2 million is 17% Black. Under the new maps, an area stretching about 360 miles (579 kilometers) from the Alabama border to the Atlantic Ocean and south from the Georgia border to Orlando in central Florida is only represented by white members of Congress.
In an unprecedented move, DeSantis interjected himself into the redistricting process last year by vetoing the Republican-dominated Legislature’s map that preserved Lawson’s district, calling a special session and submitting his own map and demanding lawmakers accept it.
A federal judge originally ruled last year that the DeSantis-championed congressional map was unconstitutional, but an appellate court reinstated it before last year’s primary and general elections and sent the case back to the lower court.
A separate lawsuit over Florida’s congressional maps is pending in federal court.
veryGood! (441)
Related
- A stowaway groundhog is elevated to local icon
- Kentucky Derby purse raised to $5 million for 150th race in May
- Taylor Swift Superfan Mariska Hargitay Has the Purrfect Reaction to Buzz Over Her New Cat Karma
- Chiefs DE Charles Omenihu offers Peacock subscriptions for wild card game vs. Dolphins
- Clint Eastwood's Son Scott Shares How Family Is Doing After Death of Christina Sandera
- Miller Lite releases non-alcoholic Beer Mints for those participating in Dry January
- Miller Lite releases non-alcoholic Beer Mints for those participating in Dry January
- 5 candidates apiece qualify for elections to fill vacancies in Georgia House and Senate
- Gena Rowlands, acting powerhouse and star of movies by her director-husband, John Cassavetes, dies
- Aaron Rodgers Will No Longer Appear on The Pat McAfee Show After Jimmy Kimmel Controversy
Ranking
- Wisconsin’s Evers urges federal judge not to make changes at youth prison in wake of counselor death
- A North Dakota lawmaker is removed from a committee after insulting police in a DUI stop
- The Puffer Trend Beyond the Jackets— Pants, Bucket Hats, and Belt Bags From Lululemon and More
- Elderly couple found dead in South Carolina bedroom after home heater reached 1,000 degrees
- Conservative are pushing a ‘parental rights’ agenda in Florida school board races. But will it work?
- Israeli military says it found traces of hostages in an underground tunnel in Gaza
- A North Dakota lawmaker is removed from a committee after insulting police in a DUI stop
- Natalia Grace's Adoptive Mom Cynthia Mans Speaks Out After Docuseries Revelation
Recommendation
-
Hurricane Ernesto aims for Bermuda after leaving many in Puerto Rico without power or water
-
Jennifer Lopez is sexy and self-deprecating as a bride in new 'Can’t Get Enough' video
-
Searches underway following avalanche at California ski resort near Lake Tahoe
-
Volunteer Connecticut firefighter hailed as hero for quick action after spotting house fire
-
51 Must-Try Stress Relief & Self-Care Products for National Relaxation Day (& National Wellness Month)
-
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tells business group he wants to spend $1.8 billion more on infrastructure
-
YouTuber Trisha Paytas Reveals Sex of Baby No. 2 With Husband Moses Hacmon
-
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith Defends Taylor Swift Amid Criticism Over Her Presence at NFL Games