Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Martin DyckmanDecember 1, 2015

The corpus delicti lay in plain view. The circumstantial evidence was obvious. Everyone knew who did it. The courts, though, couldn’t act without proof the offense was deliberate. That’s not about a crime in the usual sense. Rather, it describes why it’s taking so long to replace the Legislature’s gerrymandered voting districts with maps that […]

Martin DyckmanNovember 30, 2015

The corpus delicti lay in plain view. The circumstantial evidence was obvious. Everyone knew who did it. The courts, though, couldn’t act without proof the offense was deliberate. That’s not about a crime in the usual sense. Rather, it describes why it’s taking so long to replace the Legislature’s gerrymandered voting districts with maps that […]

Marc YachtNovember 3, 2015

Republican antics may play well to Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and their listeners, but can such bleating muster the votes to win a national election? Judging by the latest GOP effort to embarrass Hillary Clinton with another Benghazi investigation, the 11-hour marathon found itself out of step even with some of its own party faithful. […]

Jim RosicaOctober 20, 2015

Two more state Senate maps were submitted late Tuesday as part of the ongoing Special Session to redraw the districts, which the chamber previously admitted were gerrymandered to benefit Republicans. State Rep. Matt Caldwell, a North Fort Myers Republican, and state Sen. Jeff Clemens, a Lake Worth Democrat, each filed their own map. A cursory […]

Jim RosicaOctober 20, 2015

Two Democratic lawmakers have filed identical bills that would punish state lawmakers for gerrymandering political districts, up to removal from office. State Sen. Darren Soto of Orlando and state Rep. Dwight Dudley of St. Petersburg filed the legislation (SB 6-C/HB 3-C) on Tuesday. But it’s almost certain the bills won’t be taken up by the Legislature; they would first need […]

Marc YachtOctober 19, 2015

The run for the presidency is a bust for both parties and there’s something missing from American politics of late. Oh, the flag wavers wave as the candidates appear amid the usual rah-rah atmosphere ginned by political diehard groupies. But the “vote spirit” that’s so much a part of the nation’s political process seems to […]

Jim RosicaOctober 19, 2015

State Sen. Bill Galvano, who chairs his chamber’s redistricting panel, on Monday said sitting senators may not have to stand for re-election even if their districts change because of the current effort to reapportion the state Senate. Galvano, a lawyer and Bradenton Republican, spoke on the floor of the Senate during the first day of the Special Session […]

Jim RosicaOctober 16, 2015

The Florida Supreme Court has reset oral argument in the congressional redistricting case for Nov. 10, according to an order released Friday. Arguments will begin at 2 p.m. Lawyers for the Florida House of Representatives on Thursday had asked the court to postpone argument, originally set for Nov. 2, because it conflicted with the upcoming Special Session […]

Jim RosicaOctober 14, 2015

The Florida Legislature on Wednesday released six proposed new maps for state Senate districts before the start of a three-week Special Session on redistricting. All of the staff-drawn maps, however, contain districts that cross Tampa Bay. That runs afoul of direction the Florida Supreme Court gave in a similar case involving congressional districts to “avoid crossing Tampa Bay.” […]

Associated PressSeptember 24, 2015

Beginning on Thursday morning, a Florida judge will try to sort out the political mess left because of squabbling over the state’s 27 congressional districts. The Florida Supreme Court in July ordered the Republican-controlled Legislature to redraw the state’s congressional districts after finding the current map violated standards adopted by voters. But the House and Senate […]

Tag: gerrymandering

Martin Dyckman: Florida should adopt an independent redistricting commission

Martin Dyckman: Florida should adopt an independent redistricting commission

Dr. Marc J. Yacht: The GOP agenda and other fantasies

2 more maps filed for Senate redistricting

Democratic legislation would create penalties for gerrymandering

Dr. Marc J. Yacht: Have Americans lost faith in elections?

Bill Galvano: No new elections for senators whose districts change

Supreme Court grants House’s request to reschedule oral argument in redistricting case

New maps for state Senate include districts crossing Tampa Bay

Redistricting trial set to begin today