House to Stop Wasting Taxpayers’ Money, For Now

The House will not appeal a federal court decision upholding new state standards for drawing congressional districts, a spokeswoman for Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, confirmed Friday.

The lawsuit, started by Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown, had argued that the state constitution could not tie lawmakers’ authority under the U.S. Constitution to redraw congressional seats.

A federal judge in Miami and a three-judge panel in Atlanta had both rejected that theory.

The anti-gerrymandering Amendment 6 was adopted by voters in a November 2010 referendum; the map drawn by the Legislature earlier this year is being challenged under the standards in state court.