TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a 24 to 15 party-line vote Wednesday, Florida senators signed off on a new congressional map likely to give Republicans more Florida seats.
It still needs to pass the House.
The vote comes after House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson, both Republicans, sent a memo to lawmakers Monday saying legislative staff will not draw new maps to be considered by the chambers. Instead, they're asking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to give them one.
In an unprecedented move, DeSantis, who is running for reelection, interjected himself into the once-a-decade process of drawing new political lines after the federal census by submitting his own congressional map.
The Senate did not take the governor’s map into consideration, and the House approved two maps, a primary map to try to appease DeSantis and a second in case the first map was found to be unconstitutional.
While the House was debating its proposal, DeSantis used Twitter to say it would be dead on arrival. The Senate later approved the House maps and DeSantis kept his promise and vetoed the bill.
DeSantis previously submitted a map that would alter the districts of two Black U.S. House members — Reps. Al Lawson and Sheila Cherfilus McCormick. DeSantis’ proposal also would likely give Republicans more Florida seats than the maps approved by the House and Senate.
In Tampa Bay, at least two districts could be redrawn under the governor's proposed map. It would expand District 12 and move some voters from District 13 in Pinellas County to District 14 in Hillsborough County.