The main sticking point during that special session was the Senate push, orchestrated by Lee, to alter districts in the Tampa Bay region. Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis on Thursday is scheduled to start a hearing to consider maps proposed by the House, the Senate, the voting-rights groups and the other plaintiffs.
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The House and Senate passed differing maps; each was held up as the best way to avoid judicial scrutiny.
The Supreme Court in July sided with the voting-rights groups and other plaintiffs in the legal battle about whether current congressional districts drawn by the Legislature violated the anti-gerrymandering “Fair Districts” amendments approved by voters in 2010. “Drawing the maps is the job of the Legislature, or alternatively of this (Supreme) Court if the Legislature continues to abdicate its duty”.
Oliva said, “Knowing our mutual goal, I trust that we can quickly agree to these terms”.
There were suggestions during last month’s special session that Lee was trying to push Republican Congressman Dennis Ross out of a district, leaving one for Lee.
“I don’t know that we ever reasonably disagree”.
But he said he still has some concerns because he doesn’t know all of the background behind the drawing of the map.
Following Galvano’s remarks, the Senate released letters between Galvano and House Redistricting Chairman Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, showing a previously undisclosed agreement finalized Monday about how to move forward with the Senate redistricting session.
If adopted, the proposed maps could lead to the possible ouster of several incumbents in Congress.
The trial was prompted when the leaders of the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature allowed an August redistricting special session to melt down. “While it is the intent of the Legislature and our decision to accept a map that ultimately matters, I also recognize the safest course is to record such meetings to protect against the circumstance where the Court might see it differently”.
One main difference between the various proposals is to how to divide two congressional districts in South Florida. Ted Deutch and Lois Frankel lived in different districts.
Galvano and a Senate attorney, Raoul Cantero, noted that the House never officially considered the Galvano proposal, although House leaders publicly called it an improvement over prior Senate plans.
Based on the presidential preference primary in Florida set to occur on March 15, 2016, and in order to have precincts established and voters therein notified of their proper precincts, supervisors of elections will need to have the final district map with new district lines provided to the counties no later than December 1, 2015, in order to be properly prepared for that election, the filing said.
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The attorney for the voters quickly objected to Meros’ question.
