Despite a bumpy and contentious year, the Republican-led Florida Legislature returns to the state Capitol on Monday with the goal of trying to draw up new maps for 40 state Senate districts.
This marks the third special session of the year for legislators, and also marks the third time that lawmakers have altered the boundaries of state Senate districts since 2012. This session is scheduled to last up to 19 days.
This latest go-round on the Senate maps followed an extraordinary confession this summer where the Senate conceded in court filings that it had violated the state constitution by creating districts that benefited Republicans and incumbents. A coalition of groups, including the League of Women Voters of Florida, had filed a lawsuit contending the Senate districts violated the state’s “Fair Districts” measure passed by voters in 2010.
