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Attorneys for the Florida Legislature have been fighting hard to block a pair of proposed constitutional amendments designed to force lawmakers to draw fairer boundaries for legislative and Congressional districts. They've been losing even harder.
Last month, the state Supreme Court slapped down the Legislature's attempts to have the pair of proposed amendments stricken from the ballot. But legislators mounted another attack, attempting to attach a financial-impact statement to the ballot questions predicting that approval would "probably" spur litigation costing millions of dollars. Had their effort prevailed, that dire prediction would have been printed on every ballot, right under the amendments -- a clear attempt to scare up "no" votes.
Of course, it's nonsense. Litigation after redistricting -- which occurs every 10 years -- is already common. The clear and explicit language of the proposed constitutional amendment (if it's approved) should make litigation even easier to resolve -- so long as lawmakers abide by the constitution when drawing district lines.
The Legislature's lawyers appear to have bowed to the inevitable. After the court slapped down the "millions of dollars" language, they submitted another fiscal impact statement this week that says, simply and accurately, that the cost cannot be determined precisely.
Many Floridians don't realize how important redistricting is to good government. Too often in the past, lawmakers in control of redistricting have connived to draw district lines that divide communities and marginalize the power of the opposing party. (Republicans and Democrats are equal-opportunity offenders.) Voters could have a chance in the 2010 election to change that -- and it's crucial that they are given truthful information before they make a decision.
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