Two GOP U.S. representatives challenge redistricting amendment

[Judi Lynn]

Two GOP U.S. representatives challenge redistricting amendment

The Associated Press
October 21. 2005 11:59AM

Three U.S. representatives, all Cuban-American Republicans from Miami, have challenged a proposal to strip the Florida Legislature of its redistricting power and hand that job to an independent commission.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and brothers Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart filed written arguments Thursday with the Florida Supreme Court against a proposed state constitutional amendment that would create a 15-member panel to reapportion legislative and congressional districts.

They alleged it would violate the Florida Constitution's requirement that amendments deal with a single subject, arguing that congressional and legislative redistricting are separate matters.

They also contend the ballot title and summary are misleading on a variety of grounds including a failure to disclose that the governor would lose power to veto congressional redistricting plans. Legislative redistricting does not go to the governor.
(snip/...)

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051021/APN/510210782



Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart,Mario Diaz-Balart,and Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen surround fellow Republican Dan Burton.

[last_texas_dem]

1. An independent commission sounds like a good idea

From what I know about them, I tend to support implementing commissions to determine redistricting in as many states as possible. It seems like the fairest way to divide the states, and takes away the back-and-forth political garbage that inevitably goes along with state legislatures making such determinations. IIRC, Florida is a more badly gerrymandered state than Texas is- and that's pretty bad! Hopefully these Repug whiners won't have their way.