A.G. Gancarski
Though some politicians such as Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum seem to be making plans to run in the redrawn Congressional District 5, the Congressional Black Caucus seems to urge caution, requesting a Department of Justice “advisory ruling” on the map. And U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown said Friday afternoon that Brown v. Detzner is back on.
A letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch from the CBC, sent from CBC Chairman G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina, asserts that “under the approved plan, significant vote dilution will occur and that African American communities will be unable to elect candidates of their choice to the United States House of Representatives. The enacted map appears to result in substantial retrogression which means that African American communities will be less likely to elect candidates of their choice when compared to the current redistricting map.”
The letter calls for the DOJ to review the map, under its Section 5 authority, in order to make an “advisory ruling” and determine “how it would evaluate these issues if full enforcement were permitted by the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Meanwhile, Congresswoman Brown, in a prepared statement Friday, said she is “reviewing” the Florida Supreme Court ruling, and plans to meet with her attorneys this weekend. As well, she indicated she plans to “reactivate” her federal lawsuit, Brown v. Detzner, in the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee division.
