STATEMENT FROM FDP CHAIR ROD SMITH ON SENATE LEADERSHIP'S SECOND ROUND OF FAILED MAPS

Orlando, FL — Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith today issued the following statement in response to the Senate leadership’s second proposed map which again fails to comply with Fair Districts:

“As they have since Florida voters passed Amendments 5 and 6, Republican leadership is fighting Fair Districts tooth and nail, resisting at every turn their duty to draw impartial maps that comply with the law and the will of the people. The map Sen. Don Gaetz has proposed brings us no closer to complying with the court’s ruling and is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt by the GOP Senate leadership to stall the implementation of Fair Districts and cling to their gerrymandered power.  Not only have they thwarted the will of 63-percent of Florida voters,  they are now thumbing their nose at Florida’s Supreme Court. It’s clear they have no intent to comply with the court’s ruling.”

BACKGROUND:

• The Legislature allocated $30 million of taxpayer money to draw the maps. [Politifact 6/22/11]
• At the time, Sen. Gaetz claimed his maps were “fair, sensible and faithful to the law.”  [Times/Herald 11/29/11]
• Sen. Haridopolos called the GOP’s failed redistricting efforts a “model for America.” [Orlando Sentinel 1/18/2012]
• In a historic move, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the GOP’s Senate map after only a facial review. [Tampa Bay Times 3/9/12]
• The court declared that the entire Senate map was “Constitutionally invalid.” [Tampa Bay Times 3/9/12]
• The failure by the GOP leadership is costing taxpayers an additional hundreds of thousands of dollars. [Capital News Service, 3/15/12]
• Just yesterday, the Florida circuit court ruled against the GOP’s attempts to stall the congressional maps and set a hearing date of April 15. [News-Service of Florida, 3/16/2012]

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