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 begins its Special Session on redistricting:
“It’s embarrassing that Republicans in the Legislature have decided to cede their authority as a separate and equal branch of government and instead allow Governor DeSantis to control the redistricting process. This is a blatantly discriminatory effort on Governor DeSantis’s part to enact his unconstitutional maps, erase minority-access districts, and set up a challenge to the federal Voting Rights Act. If enacted during this Special Session, these unconstitutional maps will cost Florida taxpayers millions in another drawn-out court battle that will likely leave the lines blurred right up to the election. Florida Republicans should be focusing on representing the people of Florida and addressing their every day challenges, not wasting taxpayer money on more state-sanctioned discrimination following a hateful regular session.”
