Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
The Florida Supreme Court has upheld a controversial congressional map drawn by Gov. Ron DeSantis and approved by the Legislature.
A majority of Justices ultimately said the Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute and other plaintiffs failed to prove racial discrimination or a need to preserve a North Florida district previously represented by a Black Democrat.
In a majority opinion, the group stated that the map will stand, thereby ending any questions about whether congressional district lines will change in the 2026 Midterms or for the remainder of the decade.
A majority opinion written by Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz accepted DeSantis’ past arguments that the Equal Protection Clause in the U.S. Constitution overrides a demand in Florida’s Fair Districts language that the power of minority voters cannot be diminished in the redistricting process.
“The Legislature’s obligation to comply with the Equal Protection Clause is superior to its obligation to comply with the Non-Diminishment Clause as interpreted by our Court,” he wrote. “The plaintiffs did not prove the possibility of complying with both the Non-Diminishment Clause and the Equal Protection Clause in North Florida. Therefore, they did not meet their burden to prove the invalidity of the Enacted Plan.”
Plaintiffs criticized the decision.
“Today is another dark day in the history of Florida. With today’s ruling, the Florida Supreme Court has turned its back on Black voters, the state constitution, and the fundamental principles of representative democracy,” said Genesis Robinson, Executive Director of Equal Ground, one of the groups challenging the map.
“By allowing a map that clearly diminishes Black voting power to stand in a 5-1 decision, the Court has sent a chilling message: the constitutional rights of Black Floridians are negotiable, and the will of the people can be ignored, even when it is written into the very fabric of our laws. At the heart of this case was a basic question: Do Black Floridians have the right to fair representation in Congress? Today, the Court answered with a resounding no.”
At the circuit court level, plaintiffs agreed to forgo a trial and adopt an agreement with attorneys for the state to ask courts to just rule on issues surrounding the dismantling of a prior configuration of Florida’s 5th Congressional District. That was a seat previously represented by U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat.
Read more on Florida Politics.
Evening Reads
—”Here legally since 1999, thousands of immigrants have 60 days to leave” via Lauren Kaori Gurley of The Washington Post
—“Nobody (not even Donald Trump) can control the Jeffrey Epstein story” via Charlie Warzel of The Atlantic
—”Even after Pam Bondi gains Trump’s backing, her survival remains an open question” via Glenn Thrush of The New York Times
—”The three-way battle for the Democratic Party” via Andrew Prokop of Vox
—”ACLU leads Alligator Alcatraz lawsuit alleging civil rights violations” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—”Class action: Immigrants demand access to attorneys in state detention center” via Jackie Llanos of the Florida Phoenix
—“Gov. Ron DeSantis vows to fight for more teacher raises as he celebrates Florida’s top teachers” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics
—“Greg Gutfeld wants to know who the asshole is” via Stephen Rodrick of Rolling Stone
—“Where are all the AI drugs?” via Veronique Greenwood of WIRED
—”Are diamonds even a luxury anymore? De Beers reckons with price plunge” via Jenny Strasburg and Suzanne Kapner of The Wall Street Journal
—”Why the Gen Z stare has every generation talking” via Samantha Chery of The Washington Post
Quote of the Day
“This was always the constitutionally correct map — and now both the federal courts and the FL Supreme Court have upheld it.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, on the Florida Supreme Court’s redistricting ruling.
Put it on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
Now that everything’s settled, Gov. Ron DeSantis has finally earned himself a Mapmaker.
DeSantis and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds were recently in the same room, but they didn’t speak a word to each other … maybe a round of Frosties will help things thaw.
UF fans have heard it all before, but SEC Media Days has our in-house Orange & Blue fan expecting more than yet another Gator Bomb.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
McIlroy aims for history near home
The final major of the golf season concludes this weekend with the British Open played this year at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland (final round Sunday, 7 a.m. ET, NBC).
This season has seen three different winners of the previous majors. Rory McIlroy won the Masters, completing his career grand slam. Scottie Scheffler won the PGA Championship, his third career major championship. J.J. Spaun won his first career major, taking the U.S. Open.
McIlroy is one of the favorites to win. There is a significant emotional case for him, playing in his home country. The tournament is being played about an hour and a half north of his native Hollywood, near Belfast. If McIlroy wins his sixth career major and second Open Championship, he would match Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, and Phil Mickelson for the 12th most career majors. McIlroy finished tied for second place last week at the Scottish Open.
McIlroy now lives in Jupiter, Fla.
Scheffler is also one of the favorites. He is the only golfer ahead of McIlroy in the FedEx Cup standings and is ranked #1 in the World Golf Rankings. In addition to his win at the PGA Championship, Scheffler has wins at the Byron Nelson and the Memorial. He has finished in the top 10 in every tournament he has entered since a tie for 20th at The Players Championship in March.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
