Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried, an independently-elected member of the Florida Cabinet, released the following statement as the Florida Legislature concluded its Special Session on redistricting:
“If it wasn’t obvious before, it’s obvious now: Florida is ground zero in the fight for American democracy. During this Special Session, Republicans in the Legislature ceded their authority as a separate and equal branch of government. They rammed through an unconstitutional, racist, and extreme congressional map that Governor DeSantis pushed in an unprecedented overreach of executive power. They voted to risk thousands of jobs in Florida to perpetuate DeSantis’ political vendetta against Disney. It’s an absolute disgrace to the people of our state and a waste of taxpayer dollars. I’m grateful for and proud of Democrats in the Legislature for their tenacity and strength in fighting this slide into authoritarianism. They have given millions of Floridians hope and a reason to continue to believe in our government.”
