AOTL Florida Responds to Barriers in this Decade’s Redistricting Process

For Immediate Release:
September 23, 2021
Contact:
Fabiola Rodriguez
rodriguez@redistrictingaction.org

Committees Must Allow Meaningful Public Input Opportunities for All Floridians

This week, the Florida Legislature convened its first House and Senate redistricting committee meetings and it became more clear that they have no real plans to hear from the public. We still await a concrete schedule on when draft maps will be published, and next steps on how Floridians can fully participate in this process. All On The Line Florida calls for more transparency in this process and for committees to remove barriers around public input opportunities to allow all Floridians to participate in the redistricting process.

Statement from Florida AOTL State Director,  Katie Vicsik:

“Legislative leaders have done nothing but make it clear that they don’t want the public to have a voice in this process. If they did, hearings would be held during non-traditional work hours, in locations outside of Tallahassee, and with virtual opportunities, given that Florida continues to suffer from widespread COVID-19 cases. 

“In addition to the engagement barriers, the Florida Redistricting website is not as accessible as it appears to be. The suggestion form alone is arduous, it is only accessible in English, and requires a handwritten signature, printing, scanning and attaching documents in order to be submitted. This unaccessible redistricting process hurts communities of color the most -- our state’s largest growing population. The 2020 Census data confirmed Florida’s Black, Latino and multiracial populations all grew this past decade, with Latinos comprising more than half of Florida’s population growth. Yet, there are no hearings available in these communities nor any hearing opportunities with language accessibility for Floridians who speak a language other than English. Barriers like these will continue to discourage people from participating in this process that should be driven by public input. 

“That’s why All On The Line Florida calls for more transparency in this decade’s redistricting process. The redistricting committees must follow the Fair Districts Amendments and the underlying message of the amendments is clear: Voters should be able to choose their politicians, not the other way around. That’s why it’s so critical that Florida legislators remove the barriers around public input opportunities to allow all Floridians to have their voices heard in the redistricting process.”
 

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