NRF Asks Florida Supreme Court to Take Up Congressional Map Challenge
For Immediate Release
December 13, 2023
Contact
Brooke Lillard
lillard@redistrictingfoundation.org
Washington, D.C. – Voters supported by the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) are asking the Florida Supreme Court to take up the Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute v. Byrd case against Florida’s congressional map. The map is being challenged for violating the Florida Fair Districts Amendment.
The jurisdictional brief filed today argues that the Florida Supreme Court should accept the appeal because the First District Court of Appeals’ decision directly conflicts with previous decisions made by the Florida Supreme Court; and the Appeals Court decision erroneously construes the Florida Constitution.
“Florida’s congressional map very obviously diminishes the voting power of Black voters in the state. That fact is not only supported by data, it has also been explicitly conceded by Florida's Secretary of State, the Florida House of Representatives, and the Florida Senate,” said Marina Jenkins, Executive Director of the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF). “We are asking the Florida Supreme Court to overturn the appellate court’s recent decision to the contrary, which is not only wildly out of step with the trial court’s reasonable conclusion that the map violates the state constitution and must not be used going forward, it also directly contradicts Florida Supreme Court precedent and admissions of key facts in this case. The facts in this case are crystal clear, and the Florida Supreme Court must intervene to protect the rights of citizens.”
The Florida trial court sided with plaintiffs earlier this year, ruling that Florida’s congressional map violates Article III, § 20 of the Florida Constitution, commonly known as the Fair Districts Amendment. Leading up to the trial, the case against Florida’s congressional map was strengthened by an agreement between the parties to the litigation that drew a concession that the new map diminishes the voting power of Black Floridians in the northern part of the state. The National Redistricting Foundation (NRF), the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), initiated this legal challenge in 2022 and remains involved in the case supporting the plaintiffs.
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