Legislative Redistricting Special Session to Begin Wednesday

Senate President-designate Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, who headed the Senate Reapportionment Committee, announced Friday night that the 15-day special session on redistricting will begin Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Earlier in the day, the Florida Supreme Court offered a split decision to the state Legislatures redistricting plan, ruling unanimously that the plan for the House seats passed constitutional muster, but the plan for the Senate lines failed to do so.

"We are very pleased that the court has validated 32 of the 40 districts," Gaetz said. "But eight of the 40 districts need to be reconfigured."

While the court ruled 7-0 that the House districts are constitutional, five of the justices ruled against the proposed Senate map. Two -- Chief Justice Charles Canady and Justice Ricky Polston -- supported the lines the Legislature passed.

Writing for the majority of the court, Justice Barbara Pariente cited two constitutional amendments Florida voters approved in 2010 that changed how the Legislature could draw up districts in the Sunshine State. Arguing the new districts contained too many minority voters or did not adhere to the geographic requirements mandated by the amendments, the court found that eight of the 40 state Senate districts were unconstitutional.