DeSantis Claims Supreme Court Ruling Invalidates Florida’s Anti-Gerrymandering Laws
Governor claims Supreme Court’s Louisiana redistricting decision means Florida voters’ 2010 anti-gerrymandering amendments are no longer valid.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Governor Ron DeSantis argues that a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Louisiana’s congressional map has nullified Florida’s Fair Districts Amendments, as his administration urges the state legislature to approve new congressional maps.
DeSantis’ general counsel, David Axelman, presented this argument in a letter to lawmakers as they consider the governor’s redrawn congressional districts. The letter references the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which struck down a Louisiana map that created a second majority-Black district.
“Florida’s intentional compliance with the [Fair Districts Amendment] … would require Florida to ‘satisfy the extraordinarily onerous standard of proving that its use of race was narrowly tailored to further a compelling governmental interest,'” Axelman wrote, quoting directly from the high court’s decision delivered just minutes earlier.
Supreme Court Raises Bar for Race-Based Redistricting
The Supreme Court ruled that the federal Voting Rights Act alone does not justify race-based redistricting, creating a higher bar for drawing district lines to benefit minority populations. While the decision doesn’t strike down the Civil Rights era law entirely, it significantly limits its application in redistricting cases.
DeSantis claims this ruling invalidates Florida’s Fair Districts Amendments, approved by 63% of voters in 2010. The amendments include one covering legislative seats and another covering congressional districts, both prohibiting the drawing of districts that diminish minorities’ ability to elect candidates of their choice or that favor one political party over another.
Administration Claims Entire Amendment Package Invalid
Because the Supreme Court decision invalidates the Fair Districts’ racial provision, “the rest cannot be saved” either, DeSantis’ top elections attorney told lawmakers earlier this week. The administration argues that the entire anti-gerrymandering framework must be discarded.
The redistricting debate occurs during a nationwide push for mid-decade redistricting. States have rushed to redraw their congressional maps after President Trump, aiming to strengthen the GOP’s slim congressional majority, initiated the process as part of a tightening competition for control of the House of Representatives.
The Florida Legislature is currently considering whether to approve DeSantis’ proposed congressional map revisions. The governor’s office has indicated that compliance with the Fair Districts Amendments would create legal vulnerabilities under the new Supreme Court standard established in the Louisiana case.
The Fair Districts Amendments were voter-approved measures designed to prevent gerrymandering in Florida by establishing clear criteria for district drawing. The amendments specifically require that districts be compact, follow existing political and geographical boundaries where feasible, and not be drawn to favor or disfavor any political party or incumbent.
