With the Senate expected to take a floor vote this week on the once-a-decade redistricting of legislative and congressional seats, the House committee overseeing its remapping efforts should be ready to make its recommendations on Jan. 27.
House Redistricting Chairman Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, has released a timeline for reviewing the proposed legislative and congressional maps that has the full committee voting on the final maps a week after a workshop this Friday.
Seven redistricting bills are now in the House.
Weatherfords projected timeline was announced in a Jan. 13 letter to committee members:
Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 -- (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) -- the Redistricting Committee will conduct a workshop of the seven redistricting bills listed above. The committee will not be taking any votes during this meeting.
The workshop will be segmented into two parts. The first half of the meeting will be devoted to a review of public input received since the Houses options for congressional and state legislative maps were first published on Dec. 6, 2011. Our staff are soliciting further public input specific to the proposals above.
"Additionally, we will be allowing public comment on the proposed maps at the meeting. The second part of the meeting will be devoted to staff presentations of the proposed maps.
Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 -- (9.am.-1 p.m.) -- the Redistricting Committee will meet to take up and vote on one State House map, one congressional map, the State Senate map, and any timely filed amendments that pertain to those maps.
The House Rules and Calendar Committee is expected to set special procedures regarding the deadline for the redistricting amendment prior to the Jan. 27 vote.
Meanwhile, the Senate is scheduled to review the maps proposed by the Senate Reapportionment Committee on Tuesday and vote Wednesday.
The Senate maps, which maintain the GOPs congressional advantage while possibly imperiling U.S. Reps. Allen West, R-Plantation, David Rivera, R-Miami, and Steve Southerland, R-Panama City, are expected to be challenged in court by Democrats.
The Senate Redistricting Committee, drawing Democratic support, voted 21-4 in favor of the congressional map proposal and 21-3 for the Senate map.
Voter-approved redistricting laws prohibit legislators from creating maps that "favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent."
The Senate is expected to again see redistricting proposals from Democrats prior to the floor vote.
Recently submitted maps proposed by the League of Women Voters, Democracia, Common Cause and the Florida Democratic Party were quickly withdrawn after lawmakers questioned the timing in the process of the submissions and how they stood up to the Fair Districts amendments.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
