TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Senate President Ben Albritton instructed senators Wednesday that the chamber is not conducting any work on potential mid-decade redistricting, regardless of a nationwide debate over the problem and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ curiosity in revisiting the state’s maps subsequent spring.
In a memo to members, Albritton mentioned he’s monitoring authorized developments however pressured that no redistricting exercise is underway within the Senate. He mentioned senators can be up to date if the circumstances change.
Albritton additionally cautioned lawmakers in regards to the authorized publicity that may accompany redistricting, noting that in previous cycles the passage of latest maps has triggered vital litigation.
Albritton reminded lawmakers that the Florida Supreme Court docket has beforehand restricted legislative privilege in redistricting instances, which means lawmakers could also be required to show over information or testify underneath oath about conversations with workers, colleagues or outdoors teams making an attempt to affect the method.
He urged senators to keep away from interactions with partisan-funded organizations or different outdoors pursuits that would try and form any future redistricting effort. Florida’s Structure locations strict limits on what info the Legislature might contemplate when drawing congressional districts.
Albritton additionally reminded senators of the state’s information retention necessities, saying any correspondence, emails, texts or different digital communications associated to potential new districts have to be preserved, even when despatched from private gadgets. Such information might finally be deemed everlasting or archival, he mentioned.
He instructed senators to contact the Workplace of the Senate Common Counsel with any questions.
