Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz have called a special session of the House and Senate on August 7, to begin the process of redrawing Congressional District maps.
In an email to legislators, Weatherford said, the August 7, special session is for the “sole and exclusive purpose of reapportioning Florida’s Congressional Districts.”
On Friday, Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis ordered that new congressional maps be redrawn by August 15, after it was found that the GOP-led Legislature and political consultants had manipulated and corrupted the redistricting process. Lewis also ordered new congressional maps in place by August 21 and that a proposed special election schedule be submitted for the affected congressional districts.
While Lewis has requested proposed dates for a special election, he has not yet concluded whether setting new elections for a new map is legal or practical, he said earlier.
Weatherford in his email again, shared his “strong objection to any attempt to disrupt the current election process.”
He also noted the NAACP’s response to Judge Lewis that, “In a special election, get-out-the-vote infrastructure simply does not exist. Voters who face challenges to political participation – be it financial, job scheduling, transportation, or other impediments – will be irreparably harmed by conducting the election at a time where that infrastructure does not exist.”
The congressional districts which were manipulated are: the 5th congressional District held by Corrine Brown, a Democrat and the 10th Congressional District held by Daniel Webster.
See the full text of House Speaker Will Weatherford’s email below via tampabay.com:
__________________________
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2014 9:07 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Special Session – Redistricting
Dear Members:
In response to the rulings issued by Judge Lewis on July 10, 2014 and August 1, 2014, the Florida Legislature has decided to produce a Congressional map to address the Court’s limited concerns. Accordingly, the House and Senate have agreed to call ourselves into special session on Thursday, August 7 for the sole and exclusive purpose of reapportioning Florida’s Congressional Districts.
We continue to maintain our strong objection to any attempt to disrupt the current election process. Florida’s Supervisors of Elections have raised serious concerns over changing the elections process at this late date. The NAACP also pointed out in their response to Judge Lewis that, “In a special election, get-out-the-vote infrastructure simply does not exist. Voters who face challenges to political participation – be it financial, job scheduling, transportation, or other impediments – will be irreparably harmed by conducting the election at a time where that infrastructure does not exist.”
Tens of thousands of our service men and women overseas have received their ballots, and over one million absentee ballots have been mailed to Floridians. Members, we intend to vigorously defend the integrity and validity of Floridians’ votes that have already been and will be cast in the upcoming election.
I understand that calling a special session at this late date will require you to rearrange your schedules. I have directed staff to provide you with detailed information tomorrow to assist you with your travel arrangements.
[…] organizations is asking a Leon County Judge to reject the latest congressional maps, approved by a Special Session of the Legislature earlier this […]