Gerrymandering Targeted

Congressional District 11

Fair Districts Florida says it has collected more than one million signatures on petitions that they hope will do away with political districts that look more like snakes on a map than contiguous areas. Former state Education Commissioner Betty Castor told a joint meeting of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County and the Tampa Kiwanis Club that now, it's virtually impossible to defeat a sitting member of the Legislature.

"It just seems to me that if we had fairer districts - and they were more competitive districts, which is what this all about - that you would have more discussion of issues and more of a contest, and that's what it should be all about," she says. "Once the president and speaker make us their minds on an issue today, there's really not a discussion about it."

Castor says it would restrict the trend where hardliners from each party win in districts that are drawn with their supporters in mind. Now, the group has to pay each county elections supervisor to validate the petitions by February. One concern, however, is whether the move would reduce minority representation.

Fair Districts Florida is collecting signatures on petitions in support of two ballot measures. The following is the proposed ballot language:

PETITION 1: Standards for drawing congressional district boundaries.
Congressional districts may not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shall not be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice. Districts must be contiguous. Unless otherwise required, districts must be compact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries.

PETITION 2: Standards for drawing legislative district boundaries.
Legislative districts may not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shall not be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice. Districts must be contiguous. Unless otherwise required, districts must be compact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries.