Two weeks after Sen. Alan Hays’ controversial remarks on the possibility of a Congressional district meant to give Latinos an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice, Hispanic lawmakers are continuing to hammer the Umatilla Republican and call for his removal from a key committee.
But Hays remains silent, and the calls for him to be kicked off the panel overseeing the once-a-decade redistricting process appear to be headed nowhere. Even with two lawmakers calling again Wednesday for Hays to step aside, Senate President Mike Haridopolos brushed away a question about Hays’ status.
“I think he regrets what he might have said,” Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, told reporters at the annual Associated Press legislative planning day. “I think he wishes he would have said it maybe a little more clearly.”
Senate Reapportionment Chairman Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said after a meeting of his committee that Haridopolos had not spoken with him about Hays’ status on the committee. Hays declined comment after a meeting of the Senate GOP caucus.
At an Oct. 18 meeting of Gaetz’s committee, Hays expressed caution about a seat pursued by Puerto Rican advocates who want a district to represent their growing population in Central Florida.
“I just don’t think that it’s right that we try to draw a district that encompasses people that really have no business voting, anyhow,” Hays said then.
Puerto Ricans are American citizens at birth.
Rep. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, formally joined the chorus calling for Hays’ replacement Wednesday with a letter to Haridopolos over the comment.
“This implies that many of my Hispanic constituents are undocumented, which is false and offensive,” wrote Soto, whose father is Puerto Rican. “In addition, it seems to indicate that we are somehow unworthy of voting and of having representation.”
Rep. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, slammed Haridopolos for not removing Hays already.
“It was insensitive for Senator Hays to make his comments, but your failure to protect the interests of all Floridians is reproachful,” she wrote. “I feel the message that you are sending to the Latino population is that their voice is not heard.”
Meanwhile, the Senate Reapportionment Committee continued to work through how it would carve up the state in Congressional and legislative districts. The committee spent time on Southeast Florida on Wednesday, deciding to stick with a strategy of making the protection of minority-majority districts the top priority.
“If at the same time, these districts can be made more compact … then they need to be made more compact,” Gaetz said in a nod to the anti-gerrymandering “Fair Districts” standards passed by voters last year.
He said the committee is on track to vote on a proposed map the week of Dec. 5, in the hopes that the full Senate would take a vote in early January. It’s not known how quickly the House might act or how long negotiations between the two chambers might take.
Gaetz also said members of the public would have a chance to comment on the proposed maps between when they are unveiled later this month and when the committee votes. He said the public would be allowed to submit input through email, YouTube and social media sites.
At an earlier round of redistricting hearings around the state, some members of the public had blasted lawmakers for not bringing proposed maps for witnesses to react to.
By Brandon Larrabee
