Florida House Passes Aggressive New Map an Hour After Supreme Court Ruling

TALLAHASSEE — Sixty-seven minutes. That's how long it took the Florida House to pass a redrawn congressional map after the Supreme Court handed down its Louisiana ruling Wednesday.

The map, which had been quietly drafted and held in committee for exactly this contingency, redraws four currently competitive South Florida and I-4 corridor districts in ways analysts at both parties say will produce four additional Republican-leaning seats in November.

Speaker Daniel Perez, who shepherded the bill to the floor, called the speed "deliberate." "We had this map ready because we believed in the constitutional principle the Supreme Court has now affirmed," he said.

Democrats, outnumbered nearly two-to-one in the chamber, walked out before the vote in protest. State Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell pledged an immediate state-court challenge under Florida's "Fair Districts" constitutional amendment, which prohibits intent to favor a political party.

What's next

The bill heads to the state Senate, where passage is expected within the week, and then to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signaled support hours after the ruling. Litigation is certain. Whether the new map can be in place in time for November is the open question — courts can move quickly when they want to.