Fair Districts Florida Amendments Under Legislative Attack
Posted: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Source: IHS
http://www.collierdems.org/actionitem.asp?ActionItemId=111
FAIR DISTRICTS FLORIDA AMENDMENTS UNDER LEGISLATIVE ATTACK
COLLIER DEMS URGES YOU TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE
TO LEGISLATIVE LEADERS
Many voters in Collier County have worked hard and made substantial contributions to see that the Fair Districts Florida amendments, a non-partisan issue supported by Collier Dems, appear on this November's ballot. Many citizens gathered to hear an encouraging talk from Ellen Freidin in a Collier-Lee County joint meeting two weeks ago. All of this is under attack right now in the state legislature. We urge you to call and email the legislators listed below immediately and urge them to reject SRJ 2288. Information appearing below regarding the threat posed by SRJ 2288 was prepared by Fair Districts Florida and other progressive organizations who support the adoption of Amendments 5 and 6 to the state constitution and oppose any effort by legislators to further gerrymandering that allows them to establish districts containing the most likely voters to continue them and their political heirs in office for the next 10 years.
IHS
Yesterday, with less than three weeks to go in the session, legislative leaders finally revealed their own plan for redistricting. They are proposing a constitutional amendment in the House and Senate that is obviously intended to allow them to totally circumvent the protections of FairDistricts Amendments 5 and 6.
Please call or email the Legislative Leaders to tell them that you oppose SJR 2288 because it weakens the standards of FairDistricts Amendments 5 and 6. Tell them it is very important to you that all the members of the Legislature support and then follow the FairDistricts Amendments 5 & 6.
Below is an email you can use and a list of the Legislative Leadership (with contact information.)
Thank you,
Ellen Freidin
Campaign Chair
FairDistrictsFlorida.org
| Legislators | Phone
| Email | Senator Jeff Atwater, President, Florida Senate
| (850) 487-5100 | atwater.jeff.web@flsenate.gov | | Representative Larry Cretul, Speaker, Florida House of Representatives | (850) 488-1450 | larry.cretul@myfloridahouse.gov | | Senator Mike Haridopolos, Chair, Reapportionment Committee | (850) 487-5056 | haridopolos.mike.web@flsenate.gov | Representative Dean Cannon, Chair, Select Policy Council on Strategic & Economic Planning
| (850) 488-2742 | dean.cannon@myfloridahouse.gov | Senator Garrett Richter
| (850) 487-5124
(239) 417-6205
| richter.garrett.web@flsenate.gov | Representative Tom Grady
| (850) 488-4487
(239) 417-6200
| tom.grady@myfloridahouse.gov
|
Dear ______,
I am a Florida voter and I oppose SJR 2288 because it weakens the standards of FairDistricts Amendments 5 and 6. It is very important to me that all the members of the Legislature support and then follow the FairDistricts Amendments 5 & 6. I urge you to oppose SJR 2288.
Thank you.
Counter Amendment Talking Points 4.14.10
Background
· The Senate and House started having hearings in October, 2009 to discuss FairDistricts Amendments 5 and 6 -- well before they were certified for the ballot.
· Since that time, they have had at least 12 hearings and workshops, with over 30 hours of discussion.
· On January 22nd, FairDistricts Amendments 5 & 6 were granted ballot certification after over 1.7 million petitions were signed by the citizens of Florida. The people of Florida have spoken and showed their desire to have standards to stop the political power grab.
· Now after months of hearings, and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars spent on lawyers, with three weeks left to go in the session, the legislative leaders revealed their own plan for redistricting.
SJR 2288 and its House Companion
· The proposed SJR 2288 and its House companion represent a blatant attempt to circumvent FairDistricts Amendments 5 and 6
· The Legislators do not want to play by the people's rules.
· Their amendment even goes so far as to allow the weakened rules drafted by the Legislature to take precedence over the stronger rules put on the ballot by the citizens of Florida.
· The legislative amendment actually provides less protection to minority voters in contrast to the FairDistricts Amendments 5 & 6.
SJR 2288 states that the ability of racial and language minority voters to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice shall be taken into consideration. But it does not mandate any action other than consideration.
In contrast, FairDistricts Amendments 5 & 6 clearly prohibit drawing districts that diminish the ability of minority voters to elect representatives of their choice.
· Nationally recognized civil rights lawyers wrote to the Senate and House committees giving the opinion that Amendments 5 and 6 clearly will provide greater protections for minority voters than exist today - that letter has never once been mentioned by committee members since it was placed in the committees' records. The committee members conveniently ignore legal opinions that do not suit their political goals.
In introducing this amendment, these elected representatives have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they are not at all concerned with minority voters and that they are not at all concerned with fair redistricting.
This proposed amendment proves that they are only concerned maintaining their ability to rig districts for their own political purposes.
· This is just another case of the legislature trying to fool the people of Florida - this time in a deceptive attempt to hold on to their power to draw districts that unfairly favor themselves or their colleagues.
While expressly protecting and enhancing minority voting rights, FairDistricts Amendments 5 and 6 will prohibit drawing district lines to favor or disfavor any incumbent or political party. Districts will have to be compact and utilize existing political and geographical boundaries.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2010
Contact: Ellen Freidin
305.606.4300
Ellen@FairDistrictsFlorida.org
Or
Jackie Lee
305.432.9493
Jackie@FairDistrictsFlorida.org
Redistricting Power Grab
Tallahassee, FL - Yesterday, with less than three weeks to go in the session, legislative leaders finally revealed their plan. They proposed a constitutional amendment in the House and Senate that is obviously intended to allow them to totally circumvent the protections of FairDistricts Amendments 5 and 6.
"Their proposed amendment is a blatant power grab - a last gasp attempt to avoid having to follow fairness rules put on the ballot by the citizens they are supposed to represent," said Ellen Freidin, Campaign Chair of FairDistrictsFlorida.org.
In introducing this amendment, these elected representatives have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they are not at all concerned with minority voters and that they are not at all concerned with fair redistricting. This proposed amendment proves that they are only concerned with rigging districts for their own political purposes.
The Senate Reapportionment Committee met Monday and under the guise of a claim that the FairDistricts amendments do not go far enough in protecting minority voters, committee members stated that they were going to draft an amendment for the legislature to put on the ballot - supposedly to "clarify" and "enhance" the minority protections in the FairDistricts amendments. Contrary to these false assertions, the amendment proposed yesterday provides dramatically weaker protection for minority voters than FairDistricts Amendments 5 and 6. It even goes so far as to allow the Legislature to give its proposed rules precedence over the stronger rules put on the ballot by the citizens of Florida.
While protecting minority voting rights, FairDistricts Amendments 5 and 6 will prohibit drawing district lines to favor or disfavor any incumbent or political party. Districts will have to be compact and utilize existing political and geographical boundaries.
For additional information and the exact language of Amendments 5 and 6, please visit www.FairDistrictsFlorida.org . ###
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