Latest news with #NorthFlorida
The Guardian
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Florida supreme court upholds congressional map that weakens Black voters' influence
The Florida supreme court rejected a challenge to the state's congressional map on Thursday, a decision that weakens the influence of Black voters in the state and could make it easier to draw gerrymandered maps in the future. The years-long legal dispute centered on Florida governor Ron DeSantis's decision to get rid of a winding district in northern Florida where Black voters made up nearly half of the eligible voter population and had repeatedly elected Al Lawson, a Black Democrat, to Congress. When the Florida legislature redrew the map in 2021, DeSantis went out of his way to chop up the district into four different ones in which white people comprised a majority. DeSantis said at the time that the district, which stretched more than 200 miles from Tallahassee to Jacksonville, had impermissibly sorted voters based on their race. The decision helped Republicans pick up additional seats in Florida. Thursday's ruling is a win for Republicans, who anticipate losing seats in the US House in next year's midterm elections. Black voters and advocacy groups challenged the map, saying getting rid of the district violated one of several anti-gerrymandering provisions, known as the Fair Districts Amendment (FDA), approved by voters in 2010. One of those protections prohibits lawmakers from drawing districts that 'diminish [racial and language minorities'] ability to elect representatives of their choice'. Eliminating a district in which Black voters were electing their preferred candidate, the plaintiffs argued, violated that provision. A circuit court judge sided with the plaintiffs and struck down the map in May 2022. An appellate court reversed that decision. Chief justice Carlos Muñiz, a DeSantis appointee, wrote the majority opinion and agreed that the old district was one in which Black voters could elect their preferred candidate and that the new map diminished their ability to do so. But, he added, the relevant question was whether it was possible to draw districts that complied with the non-diminishment requirement without allowing race to predominate. The plaintiffs, he said, had not proven that was possible. 'The record leaves no doubt that such a district would be race-predominant. The record also gives us no reasonable basis to think that further litigation would uncover a potentially viable remedy,' he wrote. 'It is likely impossible to draw a non-diminishing district … in North Florida without subordinating the FDA's mandatory race-neutral districting standards.' 'There's no doubt that this opinion dramatically limits the reach of the FDA,' said Chris Shenton, a lawyer with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, which represented plaintiffs challenging the maps in a separate case. Justice Jorge Labarga wrote in a dissenting opinion that the case should have been sent back down to a lower court where the plaintiffs should have been given the chance to prove such a map was possible. The supreme court's Thursday decision, he wrote, 'lays the groundwork for future decisions that may render the Non-Diminishment Clause practically ineffective or, worse, unenforceable as a matter of law'.
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Florida supreme court upholds congressional map that weakens Black voters' influence
The Florida supreme court rejected a challenge to the state's congressional map on Thursday, a decision that weakens the influence of Black voters in the state and could make it easier to draw gerrymandered maps in the future. The years-long legal dispute centered on Florida governor Ron DeSantis's decision to get rid of a winding district in northern Florida where Black voters made up nearly half of the eligible voter population and had repeatedly elected Al Lawson, a Black Democrat, to Congress. When the Florida legislature redrew the map in 2021, DeSantis went out of his way to chop up the district into four different ones in which white people comprised a majority. DeSantis said at the time that the district, which stretched more than 200 miles from Tallahassee to Jacksonville, had impermissibly sorted voters based on their race. The decision helped Republicans pick up additional seats in Florida. Thursday's ruling is a win for Republicans, who anticipate losing seats in the US House in next year's midterm elections. Black voters and advocacy groups challenged the map, saying getting rid of the district violated one of several anti-gerrymandering provisions, known as the Fair Districts Amendment (FDA), approved by voters in 2010. One of those protections prohibits lawmakers from drawing districts that 'diminish [racial and language minorities'] ability to elect representatives of their choice'. Eliminating a district in which Black voters were electing their preferred candidate, the plaintiffs argued, violated that provision. A circuit court judge sided with the plaintiffs and struck down the map in May 2022. An appellate court reversed that decision. Chief justice Carlos Muñiz, a DeSantis appointee, wrote the majority opinion and agreed that the old district was one in which Black voters could elect their preferred candidate and that the new map diminished their ability to do so. But, he added, the relevant question was whether it was possible to draw districts that complied with the non-diminishment requirement without allowing race to predominate. The plaintiffs, he said, had not proven that was possible. 'The record leaves no doubt that such a district would be race-predominant. The record also gives us no reasonable basis to think that further litigation would uncover a potentially viable remedy,' he wrote. 'It is likely impossible to draw a non-diminishing district … in North Florida without subordinating the FDA's mandatory race-neutral districting standards.' 'There's no doubt that this opinion dramatically limits the reach of the FDA,' said Chris Shenton, a lawyer with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, which represented plaintiffs challenging the maps in a separate case. Justice Jorge Labarga wrote in a dissenting opinion that the case should have been sent back down to a lower court where the plaintiffs should have been given the chance to prove such a map was possible. The supreme court's Thursday decision, he wrote, 'lays the groundwork for future decisions that may render the Non-Diminishment Clause practically ineffective or, worse, unenforceable as a matter of law'.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida congressional districts that eliminated a majority-Black seat upheld by state Supreme Court
Florida's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the state's current congressional redistricting map, rejecting a challenge over the elimination of a majority-Black district in north Florida that was pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The court, dominated by DeSantis appointees, ruled that restoration of the district that previously united Black communities from Jacksonville to west of Tallahassee, or across 200 miles (322 kilometers), would amount to impermissible racial gerrymandering. That, the majority ruled, violates the Constitution's equal protection guarantees. 'The record leaves no doubt that such a district would be race-predominant. The record also gives us no reasonable basis to think that further litigation would uncover a potentially viable remedy,' said Chief Justice Carlos Muniz in the court's majority opinion. The decision means Florida's current congressional districts that give Republicans a 20-8 advantage over Democrats will remain in place for the 2026 midterm elections and beyond. The former north Florida district was most recently represented by a Black Democrat, former Rep. Al Lawson. The new districts divide that area among three Republicans. A panel of three federal judges previously upheld the current congressional districts. 'This was always the constitutionally correct map — and now both the federal courts and the FL Supreme Court have upheld it,' DeSantis said on X. One of the plaintiffs, the National Redistricting Foundation, called the new ruling 'alarming' because it 'diminishes the voting power of Black Floridians' by upholding the GOP-drawn map. 'The court is abandoning the most basic role of the judiciary: to provide justice for the people,' said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the foundation. Earlier redistricting efforts by the state Legislature included versions of the north Florida district that preserved Black voting power. But after a veto by DeSantis, the governor pushed through the current map that eliminated it. In its ruling, the Supreme Court said one problem for the plaintiffs was they did not propose a viable alternative map but only pointed out potential problems with the current one. 'It is not enough in the redistricting context for challengers to identify a flaw in an enacted districting plan and demand that the court send the Legislature back to the drawing board," the decision said. Justice Jorge Labarga was the lone dissenter, contending the lawsuit should be sent back to a lower court for further proceedings to allow the challengers a chance to produce different districts. 'By foreclosing further litigation, the majority's decision now allows to remain in place a congressional redistricting plan that is unconstitutional under the Florida Constitution,' Labarga wrote. Solve the daily Crossword
Associated Press
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Florida congressional districts that eliminated a majority-Black seat upheld by state Supreme Court
Florida's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the state's current congressional redistricting map, rejecting a challenge over the elimination of a majority-Black district in north Florida that was pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The court, dominated by DeSantis appointees, said in its ruling that restoration of the district that previously united Black communities from Jacksonville to west of Tallahassee, or across 200 miles (322 kilometers), would amount to impermissible racial gerrymandering. That, the majority ruled, violates the Constitution's equal protection guarantees. 'The record leaves no doubt that such a district would be race-predominant. The record also gives us no reasonable basis to think that further litigation would uncover a potentially viable remedy,' said Chief Justice Carlos Muniz in the court's majority opinion. The decision means Florida's current congressional districts that give Republicans a 20-8 advantage over Democrats will remain in place for the 2026 midterm elections and beyond. The previous north Florida district was most recently represented by a Black Democrat, former Rep. Al Lawson. The new districts divide that area among three Republicans. A panel of three federal judges previously upheld the current congressional districts. One of the plaintiffs, the National Redistricting Foundation, called the new ruling 'alarming' because it 'diminishes the voting power of Black Floridians' by upholding the GOP-drawn map. 'The court is abandoning the most basic role of the judiciary: to provide justice for the people,' said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the foundation. Earlier redistricting efforts by the state Legislature included versions of the north Florida district that preserved Black voting power. But after a veto by DeSantis, the governor pushed through the current map that eliminated it. In its ruling, the Supreme Court said one problem for the plaintiffs was they did not propose a viable alternative map but only pointed out potential problems with the current one. 'It is not enough in the redistricting context for challengers to identify a flaw in an enacted districting plan and demand that the court send the Legislature back to the drawing board,' the decision said. Justice Jorge Labarga was the lone dissenter, contending the lawsuit should be sent back to a lower court for further proceedings to allow the challengers a chance to produce different districts. 'By foreclosing further litigation, the majority's decision now allows to remain in place a congressional redistricting plan that is unconstitutional under the Florida Constitution,' Labarga wrote.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Pistons sign draft pick Chaz Lanier to NBA contract
The Detroit Pistons have signed their 2025 second-round draft pick Chaz Lanier, the team announced Monday, July 7. Lanier, a 6-foot-4 guard, was selected 37th overall and averaged 18 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.9 steals in his only season with Tennessee in 2024-25. He spent his first four seasons at North Florida and knocked down 40.2% of his 687 3-point attempts during his five-year college career. Advertisement More: Chaz Lanier wowed Detroit Pistons ahead of 2025 NBA Draft with elite shooting, character "He was our guy if he got to our pick and we were very fortunate to get him," Trajan Langdon said on draft night. "Had him in for a workout, spent some time with him, got to do lunch, we interviewed him in Chicago, watched a lot of film on him. 'First of all, high-character and a great young man,' he continued. 'Really worked his way up and got better from North Florida to Tennessee and had a tremendous year this year in the best conference in the country. Competitive, can really shoot the ball, flies off actions and had a tremendous year in one of the better conferences with one of the better teams in the country.' Tennessee Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier celebrates Friday, March 28, 2025, during the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Terms of the contract weren't revealed, but it won't impact the team's cap space due to the NBA's second-round pick exception. Advertisement Lanier will play for the Pistons' summer league team, which begins play in Las Vegas on July 10. Pistons launch new fan rewards program The Pistons announced their new fan engagement program, Pistons Rewards, on July 7. The program will allow fans to earn "Pistons Points" through everyday transactions such as groceries and gas, which can then be redeemed for various prizes — including tickets and merchandise. The program, which will officially launch in October is a partnership with Uptop, a fan loyalty and rewards platform. Fans can sign up for a free Pistons Rewards account at Advertisement Follow the Pistons all year long with the best coverage at Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep), and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress). For Summer League openers: Knicks Matchup: Pistons vs. New York, NBA Las Vegas Summer League exhibition. Tipoff: 6 p.m. July 11; Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas. TV: NBA TV. The rest of the schedule July 13: Rockets, 4 p.m., ESPN2. July 15: Timberwolves, 4:30 p.m., NBA TV. July 17: Heat, 4 p.m., NBA TV. July 18-20: Championship/consolation round. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons sign Chaz Lanier to NBA contract
