TU: Capitol Notebook: Redistricting created complications during legislative session

[Patricia M. McBride]

I am not sure where this goes from here as the house maps were approved, but the senate maps were not approved.  There are 8 districts on the senate maps that are in question and the seats are held by both republicans and democrats.  No mention of where the state and court goes from here.

 

March 11, 2012

It’s over.

After weeks of chaos, the state has a $70 million budget, several new laws and newly drawn political maps (sort of).

Each year the state’s 60-day legislative session is hectic. Adding a layer of complexity this year was the state’s once-a-decade redistricting process.

The entire first half of the session was dedicated to drawing the new legislative and congressional maps. As expected, minutes after they were passed, lawsuits were filed by the Florida Democratic Party and a handful of other groups.

Adding to the frenzied pace of Day 60, the court had to release its opinion Friday to meet its constitutionally imposed deadline. It signed off on the Legislature’s House maps, but in a blow to Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, in his final session, the court tossed the Senate’s maps.

The map sent off subtle politicking between the House and Senate, which were both in full session when the opinion dropped.

House Speaker Dean Cannon acknowledged the opinion to his members and released a statement.

“Throughout the redistricting process, the House demonstrated a commitment to following the letter of the law,” he wrote.

The ruling was never mentioned on the Senate floor. Later in the day, Senate Reapportionment Chairman and incoming president Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said in a statement ”the Court approved 32 of 40 districts and took issue with 8 currently served by both Democratic and Republican senators.”

On the scorecard, the Legislature lost one of the session’s most controversial bills. After more than four hours of heated debate on the Senate floor, a bill that would have allowed parents to “trigger” changes at failing schools died on a 20-20 vote. It could have let traditional schools be converted to charter schools, which sparked controversy.

The bill was backed by the Foundation for Florida’s Future, an education group founded by former Gov. Jeb Bush. It represents one of the group’s rare legislative loses.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-03-11/story/capitol-noteb...