Florida Senate - 2010                     CS for CS for SJR 2288
       
       
       
       By the Committees on Ethics and Elections; and Reapportionment;
       and Senators Haridopolos, Siplin, and Lawson
       
       
       
       582-05550-10                                          20102288c2
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing the creation of Section
    3         20 of Article III of the State Constitution to provide
    4         standards for establishing legislative and
    5         congressional district boundaries.
    6  
    7  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    8  
    9         That the following creation of Section 20 of Article III of
   10  the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
   11  the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
   12  general election or at an earlier special election specifically
   13  authorized by law for that purpose:
   14                             ARTICLE III                           
   15                             LEGISLATURE                           
   16         SECTION 20. Standards for establishing legislative and
   17  congressional district boundaries.—The legislature shall
   18  establish contiguous single-member senatorial districts that do
   19  not overlap, contiguous single-member representative districts
   20  that do not overlap, and contiguous single-member congressional
   21  districts that do not overlap. Districts shall be equal in
   22  population. District boundaries and plans shall be drawn in a
   23  manner that respects communities of common interests other than
   24  political parties and that does not deny citizen rights to
   25  express favor or disfavor for incumbents or political parties.
   26  District boundaries and plans shall be drawn in a manner that
   27  does not deny or diminish opportunities for racial or language
   28  minorities to participate in the political process and elect
   29  candidates of their choice. The legislature shall balance and
   30  apply standards in this constitution to establish senatorial,
   31  representative, and congressional districts, giving priority to
   32  the standards in this section. District boundaries or plans are
   33  valid if drawn in a manner that is rationally related to the
   34  standards in this constitution and consistent with federal law.
   35         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   36  placed on the ballot:
   37                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   38                       ARTICLE III, SECTION 20                     
   39         STANDARDS FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO FOLLOW IN LEGISLATIVE AND
   40  CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING.—Contiguous single-member districts
   41  shall be drawn to: (1) equalize population, (2) respect
   42  communities of common interests, (3) not deny citizen rights to
   43  express favor or disfavor for incumbents or political parties,
   44  and (4) not deny or diminish opportunities for racial or
   45  language minorities to elect candidates they choose. Giving
   46  priority to these requirements, the Legislature shall balance
   47  and apply all constitutional standards for redistricting.
   48  Districts are valid if drawn in a way that is rationally related
   49  to standards in the State Constitution and consistent with
   50  federal law.