Tallahassee - After more than six hours of discussion, the Florida Senate Tuesday passed their redraws of the state Senate and congressional maps. The pair of 34-6 votes means that the Senate is done with its redistricting responsibilities.

Though the Senate has finished its work, they will still have to reconcile differences that arise with the House on the congressional maps. The Senate did not propose House maps due to a deal it cut with the House. Under the plan, the Senate will draw that chamber’s plans to be approved by the House, and House would draw the new House district to be approved by the Senate.

In Northeast Florida, the Senate proposal makes Nassau County whole, keeps the meandering, five-county district represented by state Sen. Audrey Gibson, D – Jacksonville, largely intact, and creates a new Gainesville-based district that includes all of Clay County.

On the congressional side, the proposed maps would draw U.S. Reps. John Mica and Cliff Stearns out of Northeast Florida region, cut off the district of U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, which currently extends from the Atlantic Ocean to Tallahassee, at Baker County, and leaves in place the shape of U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown’s district, which winds from Jacksonville to Orlando.

Senate Redistricting Committee Chairman Don Gaetz, R - Niceville, said that Crenshaw’s district is an example of the influence a set of new constitutional amendments is having on the process. They require that districts are both drawn more compactly and don’t negatively impact minority districts.

“This proposed district removes another finger that runs from Duval to Leon County,” said Gaetz, who pointed out that the new district would be nearly 300 miles smaller than the current version.

Gibson and Brown’s districts, along with other minority access districts, were largely left in place to meet federal law and the new constitutional amendments. Gibson’s proposed district would increase African-American voting age population from 46 to 47 percent. Brown’s district would maintain its makeup of 50 percent African-American voting age population.

Gibson joined six Democrats in voting for the maps. State Sen. Paula Dockery, R - Lakeland, was the lone Republican to vote against the maps.

link:  http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/matt-dixon/2012-01-17/s...