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A case being heard in the Florida Supreme Court is challenging the Governor’s overhaul of a black North Florida Congressional District. Now, a non-profit advocacy group, along with over 31 current and former elected state leaders, took a legal step against the redistricting.
Public Rights Project, with the support of the Florida leaders, filed an amicus brief. The briefs are used to provide the court expert information or insight on a case.
Jonathan Miller is the Chief Program Officer of Public Rights Project.
“This is an important case that relates not just to one congressional district, but to the way in which power is built, in the state.”
The case challenges the Florida congressional districts that were redrawn in 2022 after Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a map approved by the state legislature. The new map split Florida’s traditionally Black represented Congressional District 5 into four other districts.
“This case is an injustice because there’s a long history of representation in the community, and there was a clear effort to override that by the state legislature and the governor, and so we wanted to make sure that the voices of black communities remain strong in congress in North Florida.”
The group claims that this is part of a wider range of attacks nationwide, citing 14 states passing restrictive voting laws last year.
