DeSantis delays Florida’s redistricting special session

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is delaying his special session on redistricting, issuing a proclamation on Wednesday that the state legislature would convene between April 28 and May 1 instead of next week. 

The rescheduled special session will also focus on issues related to artificial intelligence and medical freedom.  

DeSantis initially called for a special session next week to take up the Sunshine State’s congressional lines but indicated earlier this week that there could be a delay as lawmakers finish budget negotiations. 

“It’s possible you could do a little tweak, but you can’t really push it very far. You got to get it done probably within the next couple weeks,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Tallahassee earlier this week. “And so that will happen one way or another. Maybe on the date that was called, if they, you know, some folks have asked maybe a little bit more time.” 

Florida is seen as the last opportunity for Republicans to redraw congressional lines before the midterms. Some have previously suggested Florida could net as many as five seats, though recent elections in the state have suggested redistricting could end up doing more harm than good for the party. 

The Florida state Constitution also has strict anti-gerrymandering language, which adds another complication for Republicans.  

In a memorandum to senators issued on Wednesday, Senate President Ben Albritton wrote that the state’s upper chamber was not drafting up new lines for the House map and expected the governor’s office to notify the upper chamber of DeSantis’ proposed lines. 

“When the Senate receives a proposal from the Governor, President [Don] Gaetz intends to file it as a Senate Bill for consideration during the special session. It is my expectation the Governor’s Office will present his proposal before the Senate Committee on Rules on April 28th,” Albritton wrote. 

Meanwhile, Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez said in a statement that “we look forward to seeing the governor’s proposed map. The other issues mentioned in the proclamation will be evaluated once we have seen the draft legislation,” according to Politico.  

Republicans have an 20-8 edge in the Florida congressional delegation. While some members have pressed for their party to aggressively redistrict, other members of the party worry it could endanger incumbents and backfire in November. 

DeSantis has been careful not to use phrasing about partisan advantage when discussing redistricting, but has suggested that an expected Supreme Court decision about the Voting Rights Act merits the consideration of new maps. The high court’s ruling, however, has not yet been issued.

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