Florida redistricting case: why politicians shouldn’t draw the maps
A legal challenge involving congressional districts devised by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature offers a perfect illustration of why politicians should not be in control of drawing their own legislative districts.
Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis in a ruling Friday reversed course from last month when he issued a decision that the legislature’s 2012 congressional map violated amendments to the state Constitution passed by Florida voters in 2010 aimed at eliminating political gerrymandering and forbidding drawing districts to benefit a political party or incumbent.
Judge Lewis ruled, however, the original district map will be used for elections this year. Florida’s primary elections are being held Tuesday.
A coalition led by Common Cause of Florida and the state’s League of Women Voters challenged the Legislature’s map. Peter Butzin, chair of Common Cause of Florida, told The Wall Street Journal the coalition was “disappointed” by the judge’s decision and intend to appeal.
In his July ruling, Judge Lewis ordered the legislature to revise the map, which it did in a special session held the first week of August. The changes made to congressional districts were minimal. Judge Lewis called them “adequate” but determined the new map cannot be used for elections this year because of the logistical challenges involved.
The Florida Secretary of State determined that it would take six months to organize special elections for new districts and Judge Lewis said he believes “an election in 2015 is not a viable option” even though he said in his previous ruling that this case goes “to the very foundation of our representative democracy.”
As in most states, Florida legislators drew the gerrymandered legislative districts without public input and behind closed doors with the intent of protecting incumbents and reducing the competitiveness of the districts. They were successful on both counts.
The latest statistics from the Florida Secretary of State’s office show that 4.6 million Florida voters are registered Democrats; 4.1 million are Republicans and three million are independents.
Yet Republicans hold 17 of the state’s 27 congressional districts. Only three congressional races in 2012 were truly competitive and decided by five percentage points or less. Half the congressional districts in the state are so lopsided and such a solid lock for one party that the elections are almost pro forma. Six congressional races were so uncompetitive, largely because of gerrymandered districts and powerful incumbents with huge fundraising advantages that they were won by more than 40 points. Eight districts were won by more than 20 points.
Only when the power to draw legislative districts is taken out of the hands of politicians who care only about getting and keeping power for themselves and their parties will we have more competitive elections and different kinds of people seeking and winning public office.
(By: The Wall Street Journal)
