Floridians to vote for redistricting

Earlier this week Floridians took a major step towards ending the legislative and Congressional redistricting regulations that has protected incumbent state legislators and Congressional representatives in some of the state’s political districts.

The non-partisan group FairDistrictsFlorida.org succeeded in gathering more than 1,650,000 petitions signed by Florida Republicans, Democrats and Independents north in the Panhandle throughout the state to the Keys.

Because of the group’s efforts, Florida’s Secretary of State Kurt S. Browning has certified Constitutional Amendment 5 to be placed on the November 2, 2010 ballot, and is expected to soon also certify the associated Amendment 6.

Approval of the amendments will mean that Florida voters would have the opportunity to stop legislators from rigging and manipulating district boundaries. These boundaries essentially stifle effective opposition candidates seeking to unseat legislators who entrench themselves in positions of power indefinitely.

Bob Milligan, who was elected State Comptroller during the Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush administrations, has been reported as saying that approval of the amendments will finally end the legalized conflict of interest that allows state legislators to design their districts and those of Congress for their own political purposes.

Prior to the amendment, there were no regulations that prevented legislators from drawing districts to favor themselves or their parties. This is evidenced in the unusual shape and size of some political districts in the state, overlapping counties, and extending for miles, often presenting serious campaign logistics for candidates seeking to unseat incumbents. Because of the ad hoc manner in which some districts were formed and reformed, it is not unusual to find people in some communities represented by different political representatives.

According to reports, because of the negative dynamics resulting from the lax or absent regulations in defining political districts, most candidates seeking to unseat state or federal political incumbents (three out of 140 up for election each cycle) were defeated in the last six years.

National political consultant Miriam Reeves, who resides and votes in Florida, said, “For years the situation with the structuring of political districts in Florida has been languishing in a sort of early 20th century warp. Little did Florida voters know, that they were being manipulated because of the design of the districts they voted in, and that in too many districts attempting to vote out an incompetent or corrupt incumbent, was a futile effort. When these amendments pass, and they should, easily, the voters will really have the right and the power in deciding who represents them at the state and federal levels.”

Both amendments will require voter approval in November, but it is hardly likely that with the aggressive promotion that is expected to be waged in favor of the amendments that they will not be approved.

If approved, the Florida constitution will:

Prohibit politicians from designing districts to favor themselves or their parties;

Require politicians to make the districts compact and community based; and

Make it impossible for legislators to draw districts to diminish the ability of minority voters to elect representatives.

Add this article to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites