The Republican-led Legislature did not put Amendment 7 on the November ballot to torpedo competing initiatives by a liberal-leaning citizen's group, House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon told the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday.
A lawyer and a Republican from Winter Park, Cannon urged justices to put Amendment 7 back before voters. On July 8, Leon Circuit Judge James Shelfer sided with the NAACP of Florida and struck the measure from the ballot....
Cannon argued that Amendment 7, the Legislature's response to Amendments 5 and 6, would give lawmakers the ability to consider "communities of common interest," when drawing new districts.
"Amendment 7 would add a layer of flexibility that would be negated by 5 and 6," Cannon said. "Preserving communities of common interest is how the Legislature has protected minority rights."
Of course, the majority party in the legislature, particularly in this case the Republican Party, has not interest in protecting minority rights. All the "communities of common interest" language does is to be so broad as to neuter any practical standards for redistricting that Amendments 5 and 6 (the Fair Districts Florida amendments) set up.
Not surprisingly, folks aren't buying Cannon's argument:
Opponents argue that the language is so vague that lawmakers could ignore Amendments 5 and 6 and even one of the basic standards, that districts have to be contiguous.
"It really has no standards," said Justice Fred Lewis. "As I read it, you don't have to follow any of them."
Outside of the courtroom, NAACP attorney Ron Meyer said the Amendment 7 was an attempt to give lawmakers an even freer hand to reward friends and punish opponents.
"We think that just opens the door to gerrymandering and all sorts of mischief," he said.
