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Democratic lawmaker testifies DeSantis led Legislature astray on congressional map
Democratic lawmaker testifies DeSantis led Legislature astray on congressional mapLawyers representing voting-rights organizations presented their final witnesses Monday in a federal redistricting trial accusing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of intentionally discriminating against Black voters during the once-a-decade map-making process.
House Democratic Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, echoed what other witnesses had already testified: The Legislature knew DeSantis’ redrawn map would reduce Black voting power, infringing upon state law.
The governor’s and the Legislature’s lawyers already conceded as much in a separate state lawsuit that struck down the North Florida congressional districts. The state is appealing that decision, arguing those state-level voting protections violate the U.S. Constitution by inappropriately requiring the Legislature to consider voters’ race.
The judges presiding over this case—U.S. District Judges M. Casey Rogers and Alan C. Winsor, along with 11th U.S. Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan—have yet to indicate how they might rule. Their decision could have far-reaching implications, not just for Florida, but for the ongoing national conversation about voting rights and racial discrimination.
Common Cause Florida, FairDistricts Now, the NAACP Florida State Conference and a number of individual voters filed the lawsuit last year against DeSantis’ secretary of state. The trial should conclude late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The state expects to present two experts and the governor’s chief of staff, and then both sides will get a chance to summarize their arguments. Any appeal of the court’s ultimate decision would go straight to the U.S. Supreme Court.
House Democratic Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, echoed what other witnesses had already testified: The Legislature knew DeSantis’ redrawn map would reduce Black voting power, infringing upon state law.
The governor’s and the Legislature’s lawyers already conceded as much in a separate state lawsuit that struck down the North Florida congressional districts. The state is appealing that decision, arguing those state-level voting protections violate the U.S. Constitution by inappropriately requiring the Legislature to consider voters’ race.
The judges presiding over this case—U.S. District Judges M. Casey Rogers and Alan C. Winsor, along with 11th U.S. Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan—have yet to indicate how they might rule. Their decision could have far-reaching implications, not just for Florida, but for the ongoing national conversation about voting rights and racial discrimination.
Common Cause Florida, FairDistricts Now, the NAACP Florida State Conference and a number of individual voters filed the lawsuit last year against DeSantis’ secretary of state. The trial should conclude late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The state expects to present two experts and the governor’s chief of staff, and then both sides will get a chance to summarize their arguments. Any appeal of the court’s ultimate decision would go straight to the U.S. Supreme Court.