Gov. Scott Holds Up Gerrymandering Amendments

[stjr]

Rick Scott is really pushing the envelop frustrating the will of 63% of the voters (he only won with 48%) with this action.  He is becoming an outrageous story a day.

Florida withdrew anti-gerrymandering amendments shortly after Rick Scott took office

Submitted by Brandon Larrabee on January 25, 2011 - 1:20pm

TALLAHASSEE -- Shortly after Gov. Rick Scott took office and named his choice for secretary of state, the state halted efforts to gain federal approval for two constitutional redistricting amendments passed by voters last November.

Scott's office said the move is in keeping with his executive order freezing new rules and regulations, which he signed on the first day of his term.

You might remember that Scott was sworn in Jan. 4. On Jan. 5, he named Kurt Browning as his pick for secretary of state. On Jan. 7, the state department -- where Browning hadn't yet formally taken over -- withdrew a request that the U.S. Department of Justice "preclear" the amendments.

Florida is one of several states that must, because of its history of voting discrimination, submit practically all changes in voting and redistricting procedures to the DOJ for preclearance before the changes take effect. According to FairDistricts Now, a group supporting Amendments 5 and 6, the new standards were submitted Dec. 10, while Gov. Charlie Crist was still in office.

Amendments 5 and 6 aim at barring lawmakers from crafting the state's legislative and congressional districts for political reasons in the once-a-decade redistricting process, expected to begin this year and continue through early 2012. Voters approved the amendments in the state general elections in November, despite opposition from U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, a Democratic congresswoman from a Jacksonville-area district, and others.

Opponents formed a group called Protect Your Vote -- headed by former (and soon-to-be future) Secretary of State Kurt Browning.

On Tuesday, FairDistricts Now released a letter, dated Monday, that called on Browning to resubmit the application:

More than 3.1 million Floridians voted for these reforms in November, and your actions seem calculated to obstruct their implementation. Further, Floridians have a right to know why their Secretary of State and their Governor are engaging in a course of conduct so clearly intended to frustrate their will as expressed at the polls.

FairDistricts Now President Pamela Goodman:

We will do whatever it takes to see to it that the new standards are implemented. We will not allow our hard earned rights and the clear vote and voice of over 3 million Florida voters to be eviscerated by those intent on avoiding their constitutional duty to create fairly drawn districts.

In an e-mail, Scott spokesman Brian Hughes said the withdrawal was part of Scott's efforts to review new regulations and was unlikely to keep the standards from affecting the new maps:

Consistent with Governor Scott's effort to assess the rules, regulations and contracts of the previous administration, he has withdrawn the letter requesting a DOJ review of Amendments 5 and 6. Census data has not been transmitted to the state yet and the Legislature will not undertake redistricting for months, so this withdrawal in no way impedes the process of redrawing Florida’s legislative and congressional districts.

But in a sharply worded statement issued late Tuesday, Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich of Weston blasted that reasoning:

The governor needs to remember that only 48 percent of Floridians voted for his candidacy. The Fair Districts Amendments 5 and 6 passed with 63 percent of the votes cast. If the governor is looking for a mandate, it is undoubtedly the voters’ overwhelming desire to end the ability of lawmakers to draw their district boundaries to their own benefit or that of their party. ...

For the governor to shun the will of the majority is unconscionable. For him now to hide behind his ill-advised executive order is absurd. The decision to freeze regulations and contracts has already unleashed a nightmare for those businesses and Floridians eager to 'get to work.' Apparently, shutting down jobs was not enough; now he's shutting down the voice of the people.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/brandon-larrabee/2011-01-25/florida-withdrew-anti-gerrymandering-amendments

[acme54321]

LOL at part about Corrine Brown opposing the amendments.  Just look at her district, it is the definition of gerrymandering!  Hopefully in 2 years she is gone.

[Garden guy]

Mr Scott is an idiot and a thief and should be put in jail. Impeach him now or he's going to make this state more of a laughing stock than it already is...when are you guys out there going to realize that he only has the wealthy in mind when he thinks of this state...he's only in it for himself and his buddies..

[Doctor_K]

^
Not that I necessarily disagree, but define "wealthy."

[vicupstate]

LOL at part about Corrine Brown opposing the amendments.  Just look at her district, it is the definition of gerrymandering!  Hopefully in 2 years she is gone.

Brown's district is drawn that way to establish a majority-minority district, which is required under the Voting rights Act of 1965.

[ChriswUfGator]

Mr Scott is an idiot and a thief and should be put in jail. Impeach him now or he's going to make this state more of a laughing stock than it already is...when are you guys out there going to realize that he only has the wealthy in mind when he thinks of this state...he's only in it for himself and his buddies..

Well, you're right of course.

But unfortunately we have to wait until someone gets caught actually doing something before you can impeach them.

[Jaxson]

Dear Florida Non-voters,
Remember when you said that it didn't matter who won the governor's race?  Remember when you said that there was no real difference between Rick Scott and Alex Sink?  Thanks a lot!
Sincerely,
Jaxson

[Doctor_K]

Dear Florida Non-voters,
Remember when you said that it didn't matter who won the governor's race?  Remember when you said that there was no real difference between Rick Scott and Alex Sink?  Thanks a lot!
Sincerely,
Jaxson

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