TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - Mid-decade congressional redistricting efforts are moving forward across the country as Republican states consider redrawing district lines to protect party control in Washington.
Florida lawmakers are among those expected to pursue redistricting changes, despite opposition from voting rights groups who say the move would erode public trust in the electoral process.
"It is something that erodes public trust," said Jacquelya Steele of Equal Ground, a voting advocacy organization.
Voting advocates urged Tallahassee area lawmakers on Monday to keep the state's congressional map unchanged. Steele said there is no legitimate need for redistricting in Florida.
"There really isn't a need. The need is coming from Washington, trying to keep control in one party," Steele said.
U.S. House districts are typically redrawn once a decade, immediately after each census. With a narrow majority, President Donald Trump is pushing states to redraw boundaries to protect Republican control. The effort is gaining support in Republican states, including Florida.
Republicans currently hold 20 of the state's 28 congressional seats. Governor Ron DeSantis announced his support for a new census to force Florida's redistricting in August.
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The 2020 Census recorded Florida's population at 21.5 million, a growth of more than 7% from the decade before. DeSantis said that number doesn't reflect the current reality.
"You have some districts that have not reflected the population that's happened. In some districts, you have a lot of votes. Some you don't have as many votes," DeSantis said in August.
The U.S. Supreme Court has said there is no federal ban on political gerrymandering. However, the state constitution prohibits it.
The House has a committee on mid-decade redistricting, but it didn't meet during the first two committee weeks and is not scheduled to meet next month.
"I hope this won't go any further in the state of Florida. Again, because our Constitution does explicitly prohibit redrawing a district for partisan reasons," said Amy Keith of Common Cause Florida.
House minority leader Fentrice Driskel pointed out that Republicans have controlled the Florida Capitol for decades.
"So if these maps are flawed, the maps that came out of the last cycle of redistricting, it's their fault. Generally, when things don't go well for us in life, we can't change the rules; we have to suffer the consequences," Driskel said.
The Senate would have to approve any redistricting plan. Senate President Ben Albritton has not announced plans to take up the issue.