Oscar Braynon files five more Senate maps
Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens. (File photo)

braynon

The Florida Senate’s second-ranking Democrat has filed five more plans for consideration in the ongoing Special Session to redraw the state’s 40 senatorial districts.

The chamber’s redistricting web page shows that state Sen. Oscar Braynon II of Miami Gardens filed the maps Sunday.

Braynon, the Democratic leader pro tempore, also is vice chair of the Reapportionment Committee. Its members voted 4-3 Friday, along party lines, to forward a map (S9090) to the floor favored by chair Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican.

Procedurally, Braynon’s maps could be considered as amendments as the full Senate begins taking up the matter Tuesday, with a possible vote on Wednesday.

That would send the Senate’s approved map to the House for consideration. The Special Session for Senate redistricting is scheduled to end Nov. 6.

Three of Braynon’s maps “jump the Bay,” crossing Tampa Bay from Hillsborough to Pinellas counties to take in a Democrat-rich pocket of southeast Pinellas as lawmakers continue to struggle to make a minority-access seat in the region.

Crossing the bay was a no-no in the state Supreme Court’s ruling in a similar constitutional challenge to congressional districts.

Other versions of that district, currently held by Senate Democratic Leader Arthenia Joyner of Tampa, have it meandering around the water and dipping down into Bradenton.

No matter the map, Galvano clarified last week that all senators will most likely have to run again for their seats next year, saying it “probably (is) a legal reality at this point.”

Also, leading Republican senators – including past Senate President Tom Lee of Brandon and Clearwater’s Jack Latvala, a possible future president – last week opined that Galvano’s map was probably unconstitutional.

At a committee meeting Friday, Lee said the map going to the floor may make “legal sense, but it makes no common sense.”

Braynon’s maps and their accompanying reports may be viewed here.

Jim Rosica

Jim Rosica is the Tallahassee-based Senior Editor for Florida Politics. He previously was the Tampa Tribune’s statehouse reporter. Before that, he covered three legislative sessions in Florida for The Associated Press. Jim graduated from law school in 2009 after spending nearly a decade covering courts for the Tallahassee Democrat, including reporting on the 2000 presidential recount. He can be reached at [email protected].



#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories