JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The video above is from a previous report.
Florida's 1st District Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court's decision which blocked Gov. Ron DeSantis' congressional redistricting map.
Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith put a temporary injunction in place on May 12 at the request of plaintiffs challenging DeSantis' redistricting map. However, Friday's decision reverses that decision, and removes the injunction. This means the governor's map will be in effect for the Aug. 23 primary.
Plaintiffs argue his map violates anti-gerrymandering amendments in the state constitution, known as the Florida’s Fair Districts provisions, approved by voters. Plaintiffs were seeking to revert to maps approved by the Florida Legislature, before they were vetoed by the governor and supplanted by his version.
The region most affected by the governor's map is Northeast Florida, because it splits a historically Black and Democratic district into two districts expected to favor Republican candidates. The map also gives Republicans a possible 20-8 advantage in congressional districts, despite state party registrations being nearly evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.
Critics of the new redistricting map claim it discriminates against Florida's Black voters.
Read the 1st DCA's opinion here.