NRF Statement on FL Supreme Court Agreeing to Take Up Congressional Redistricting Case
For Immediate Release
January 24, 2023
Contact
Brooke Lillard
lillard@redistrictingfoundation.org
Washington, D.C. — Today, John Bisognano, President of the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF), released the following statement in response to the Florida Supreme Court’s announcement that it will take up Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute v. Byrd, a legal challenge against Florida’s congressional map:
“This marks another step toward a more representative map for Florida voters. The plaintiffs in the case, as well as Florida's Secretary of State, the Florida House of Representatives, and the Florida Senate all agree on a key fact: the current DeSantis-drawn congressional map diminishes the voting power of Black Floridians and prevents them from electing a candidate of their choice in the Fifth Congressional District. Time and again, in states once thought to be unreachable in the fight for equal representation, courts have held legislatures to account for drawing gerrymandered maps – doing their job to protect the rights of the voters. With the law and well-established Florida Supreme Court precedent on our side, we are confident that we have a strong case to bring before the court.”
Additional Background:
In taking up this case, the Florida Supreme Court could overturn a decision by an appeals court that kept the congressional map in place. Initially, a Florida trial court sided with the plaintiffs, 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. 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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