AOTL Florida Files Brief with the State Supreme Court Opposing the Actions of Governor DeSantis
For Immediate Release
Contact
Jena Doyle – doyle@redistrictingaction.org
AOTL Florida Files Brief with the State Supreme Court Opposing the Actions of Governor DeSantis
Florida – Today, All On The Line Florida submitted a brief to the Florida Supreme Court in response to Governor Ron DeSantis’ request for an advisory opinion from the Court as to whether the state constitution requires the retention of the state’s fifth congressional district, a Black opportunity district in Northern Florida represented by Congressman Al Lawson.
In the brief, All On The Line notes that the advisory opinion the governor has requested is not allowed under the Florida Constitution. The governor is attempting to hijack the legislative process by preemptively asking for an interpretation of the state’s non-retrogression standard. Moreover, the governor is asking the Court to issue an advisory opinion on an issue it already ruled on–after extensive litigation–during the previous redistricting cycle. By asking the Court to make this determination without detailed facts or even presenting his own proposed map or analysis to the Court, Governor DeSantis is pushing the Court to make a crucial decision for Black political representation based on conjecture.
“Governor DeSantis has inserted himself into the redistricting process in an unprecedented way. By asking the Florida Supreme Court to greenlight the removal of a minority opportunity district before the legislature has even passed its congressional map, he is illegitimately trying to force Florida legislators to cut the number of Black opportunity districts in Florida in half,” said Katie Vicsik, All On The Line Florida State Director. “The actions of Governor DeSantis – drawing a gerrymandered map and trying to use the Court to gain political control – stand in the face of equal representation for Floridians. It is wrong to disenfranchise the votes of communities of color and attempt to cloak this scheme with approval from the state’s highest court. Florida voters deserve better.”
A copy of All On The Line’s brief can be found here.
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All On The Line
All On The Line is on a mission to end gerrymandering because it contributes to the polarization and dysfunction in our political system. Since launching in 2019, we’ve built a grassroots volunteer organization ahead of the 2021 redistricting process. This work includes launching Redistricting U, a national, in-person training program designed to give individuals the knowledge, skills, and tools to take action on redistricting, a program that is now offered virtually. All On The Line is the grassroots campaign of the National Redistricting Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. For more information please visit: https://www.allontheline.org/