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A Florida Judge Just Voided the State’s Congressional Districts. Here’s What You Need to Know
Washington Post ^ | July 11 | Christopher Ingraham

Posted on 07/12/2014 2:06:48 AM PDT by nickcarraway

Last night a circuit court judge in Florida voided the state's congressional map, citing a "secret, organized campaign" by Republican operatives that "made a mockery of the Legislature's transparent and open process of redistricting." The ruling concluded that District 5, held by Democrat Corrine Brown, and District 10, held by Republican Dan Webster, will need to be redrawn. From a purely practical standpoint, this means redrawing any surrounding districts as well, and possibly many of the state's 27 districts overall. "If one or more districts do not meet constitutional muster, then the entire act is unconstitutional," Judge Terry Lewis wrote.

The ruling is something of a barn-burner, and well worth a read. Lewis opens it up with a quote from George Washington warning of "cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men" who will "subvert the power of the people" and "usurp for themselves the reins of government." Below, three big takeaways.

1. Half-measures won't solve the gerrymandering problem

In 2010, Florida voters attempted to fix the issue of partisan gerrymandering by passing two amendments to the Florida Constitution that became known as the Fair District amendments. The amendments limit -- but do not eliminate -- the state legislature's discretion in drawing district boundaries, by forbidding districts drawn "with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: demagogicparty; elections; florida; gerrymandering; judges; memebuilding; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills
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To: nickcarraway

Why is it that Dems seem to always be able to get Voting ID statutes retrained so they don’t apply in an upcoming election but we couldn’t get THIS decision restrained so it doesn’t apply in the upcoming election?


21 posted on 07/12/2014 3:38:57 AM PDT by Castigar
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To: nickcarraway

Districts should be drawn based on geographical proximity and population clusters. A computer can do it in a few minutes.


22 posted on 07/12/2014 3:44:00 AM PDT by xzins ( Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for victory!)
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To: Viennacon
I want Feminazi Corrinne Brown-turd gone

GLO

23 posted on 07/12/2014 3:51:54 AM PDT by sternup
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To: fieldmarshaldj

There is no federal law that requires a black democrat is assured a seat.


24 posted on 07/12/2014 4:09:23 AM PDT by GilesB
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To: nickcarraway

Remember...the GOP In Florida redistricted Allen West into a more Democrat district...and cost him re-election.

Also....District 10...Orlando area rep Dan Webster....is mostly Hispanic and liberal. FL GOP redistricting made it easy for Alan Grayson to win back a House seat in another Orlando area district (formerly conservative one)

This court ruling may actually help conservatives in long run...as the GOPe in FL tried so hard to eliminate conservative districts


25 posted on 07/12/2014 4:18:35 AM PDT by DisorderOnBorder (Haley Barbour rather work for drug cartels than Americans)
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To: mazda77; All

Corrine Brown is so crooked...she gets Nigerians to SEND HER money...no kidding


26 posted on 07/12/2014 4:21:36 AM PDT by DisorderOnBorder (Haley Barbour rather work for drug cartels than Americans)
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To: nickcarraway

Lets see if we can get away with this


27 posted on 07/12/2014 4:22:54 AM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: nickcarraway
"If one or more districts do not meet constitutional muster, then the entire act is unconstitutional," Judge Terry Lewis wrote.

Now, if only we could get some judges who think that way to make a ruling on ObamaCare...

28 posted on 07/12/2014 4:34:06 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: nickcarraway

I’m surprised that the writer doesn’t drag out the fact that Judge Lewis was involved in the Bush-Gore recount.


29 posted on 07/12/2014 4:44:36 AM PDT by Charlemagne on the Fox
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To: DisorderOnBorder

Well, Rep. West wouldn’t toe the GOP party line! Don’t know about Adams and Webster.


30 posted on 07/12/2014 5:09:18 AM PDT by jch10 (WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE COYOTE IN CHIEF?)
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To: martin_fierro; mazda77; pepsionice; nickcarraway

Good points all. Districts should be legally defined to be encapsulated by straight lines, not squiggles. That would put a stop to a lot of this crap. Maybe. Politicians are really only clever when it comes to their survival, unfortunately.


31 posted on 07/12/2014 5:18:34 AM PDT by Hardastarboard (Please excuse the potholes in this tagline. Social programs have to take priority in our funding.)
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To: nickcarraway
"The word gerrymander (originally written Gerry-mander) was used for the first time in the Boston Gazette on 26 March 1812..."-wiki

NOW we find out its unconstitutional! You would think that someone would have figured this out 200 years ago.

Does this apply to the US as a whole, or are we just fixing republican Florida? Thought so...

32 posted on 07/12/2014 5:37:58 AM PDT by D Rider (Don't give sharp objects to small children)
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To: D Rider

Get rid of districts and go with counties. Takes gerrymandering out of the picture. Also from an electoral voting process it creates firewalls which prevent wide spread voter fraud.

As an example, let’s say Cuyahoga county get 125% of the people voting. Now that extra 25% can make a difference in a general election. If you go with a county system, with each county getting 1 point for being won and the most points in the state getting the electoral votes, two things happen.

1- who cares if Cuyahoga county gets 500% of the electorate? The firewall is put up which will give the winning candidate 1 point towards getting the states electoral votes.

2- All of this voter ID and picture ID is taken off the table because if you want to cheat, you only get 1 point.


33 posted on 07/12/2014 6:20:31 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (GM is dead and Al Queada is alive.)
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To: nickcarraway; JulieRNR21; kinganamort; katherineisgreat; floriduh voter; summer; Goldwater Girl; ...
Florida judge Terry Lewis was appointed to the Leon County district court in 1998 by Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles.

It is apparent that he is aiding and abetting a misdirection campaign, a Democrat specialty, to accuse the opposition of what he knows full well his fellow travelers are themselves guilty of ten times over.

Same sh!t, different decade.

Florida Freeper

I'm compiling a list of FReepers interested in Florida-related topics.
If you want to be added, please FReepMail me.

34 posted on 07/12/2014 6:45:09 AM PDT by Joe Brower (The "American People" are no longer capable of self-governance.)
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To: nickcarraway

We live in that little thin squiggle that looks like an appendix between duval county and orange park. I so much want out of Corrine Browns District so anything that moves that boundry away from me suits me just fine.
Freegards
LEX


35 posted on 07/12/2014 6:57:32 AM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
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To: nickcarraway

On the plus side, maybe we’ll be removed from her district!


36 posted on 07/12/2014 7:21:29 AM PDT by Roos_Girl (The world is full of educated derelicts. - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: nickcarraway

Ha.

Laws made by judges and via executive orders.

Who needs a legislature elected by the people at large, representing their interests?

Oh, wait, Article I Section I.


37 posted on 07/12/2014 7:24:12 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
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To: GilesB
An alternative, non-fudgeable way is to limit the size of the ratio
R = L*L/A,
where L is the length of the district's perimeter in miles and A is the district's area in square miles. For a square R is 16 and about 12.5 for a circle.

That monstrosity must have an R of well over 300.

38 posted on 07/12/2014 7:32:23 AM PDT by expat2
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

The judge should be removed from office, along with the rest of the Demagogic party members.


39 posted on 07/12/2014 7:50:34 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Joe Brower

If the districts are out, what does this mean for the August primary? Cluster Flop in the batting circle.


40 posted on 07/12/2014 7:50:45 AM PDT by NonValueAdded ("The Arab Spring is over. Welcome to the Jihadi Spring." Jonah Goldberg)
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