CRC - 2017                                                  P 80
       
       
        
       By Commissioner Schifino
       
       schifinow-00065A-17                                     201780__
    1                        A proposal to repeal                       
    2         Sections 16, 20, and 21 of Article III and Section 13
    3         of Article XII and to create a new section in Article
    4         VI of the State Constitution to establish an
    5         independent redistricting commission.
    6          
    7  Be It Proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission of
    8  Florida:
    9  
   10         Sections 16, 20, and 21 of Article III of the State
   11  Constitution are repealed:
   12                             ARTICLE III                           
   13                             LEGISLATURE                           
   14         SECTION 16. Legislative apportionment.—
   15         (a) SENATORIAL AND REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS. The
   16  legislature at its regular session in the second year following
   17  each decennial census, by joint resolution, shall apportion the
   18  state in accordance with the constitution of the state and of
   19  the United States into not less than thirty nor more than forty
   20  consecutively numbered senatorial districts of either
   21  contiguous, overlapping or identical territory, and into not
   22  less than eighty nor more than one hundred twenty consecutively
   23  numbered representative districts of either contiguous,
   24  overlapping or identical territory. Should that session adjourn
   25  without adopting such joint resolution, the governor by
   26  proclamation shall reconvene the legislature within thirty days
   27  in special apportionment session which shall not exceed thirty
   28  consecutive days, during which no other business shall be
   29  transacted, and it shall be the mandatory duty of the
   30  legislature to adopt a joint resolution of apportionment.
   31         (b) FAILURE OF LEGISLATURE TO APPORTION; JUDICIAL
   32  REAPPORTIONMENT. In the event a special apportionment session of
   33  the legislature finally adjourns without adopting a joint
   34  resolution of apportionment, the attorney general shall, within
   35  five days, petition the supreme court of the state to make such
   36  apportionment. No later than the sixtieth day after the filing
   37  of such petition, the supreme court shall file with the
   38  custodian of state records an order making such apportionment.
   39         (c) JUDICIAL REVIEW OF APPORTIONMENT. Within fifteen days
   40  after the passage of the joint resolution of apportionment, the
   41  attorney general shall petition the supreme court of the state
   42  for a declaratory judgment determining the validity of the
   43  apportionment. The supreme court, in accordance with its rules,
   44  shall permit adversary interests to present their views and,
   45  within thirty days from the filing of the petition, shall enter
   46  its judgment.
   47         (d) EFFECT OF JUDGMENT IN APPORTIONMENT; EXTRAORDINARY
   48  APPORTIONMENT SESSION. A judgment of the supreme court of the
   49  state determining the apportionment to be valid shall be binding
   50  upon all the citizens of the state. Should the supreme court
   51  determine that the apportionment made by the legislature is
   52  invalid, the governor by proclamation shall reconvene the
   53  legislature within five days thereafter in extraordinary
   54  apportionment session which shall not exceed fifteen days,
   55  during which the legislature shall adopt a joint resolution of
   56  apportionment conforming to the judgment of the supreme court.
   57         (e) EXTRAORDINARY APPORTIONMENT SESSION; REVIEW OF
   58  APPORTIONMENT. Within fifteen days after the adjournment of an
   59  extraordinary apportionment session, the attorney general shall
   60  file a petition in the supreme court of the state setting forth
   61  the apportionment resolution adopted by the legislature, or if
   62  none has been adopted reporting that fact to the court.
   63  Consideration of the validity of a joint resolution of
   64  apportionment shall be had as provided for in cases of such
   65  joint resolution adopted at a regular or special apportionment
   66  session.
   67         (f) JUDICIAL REAPPORTIONMENT. Should an extraordinary
   68  apportionment session fail to adopt a resolution of
   69  apportionment or should the supreme court determine that the
   70  apportionment made is invalid, the court shall, not later than
   71  sixty days after receiving the petition of the attorney general,
   72  file with the custodian of state records an order making such
   73  apportionment.
   74         SECTION 20. Standards for establishing congressional
   75  district boundaries.—In establishing congressional district
   76  boundaries:
   77         (a) No apportionment plan or individual district shall be
   78  drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or
   79  an incumbent; and districts shall not be drawn with the intent
   80  or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of
   81  racial or language minorities to participate in the political
   82  process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of
   83  their choice; and districts shall consist of contiguous
   84  territory.
   85         (b) Unless compliance with the standards in this subsection
   86  conflicts with the standards in subsection (a) or with federal
   87  law, districts shall be as nearly equal in population as is
   88  practicable; districts shall be compact; and districts shall,
   89  where feasible, utilize existing political and geographical
   90  boundaries.
   91         (c) The order in which the standards within subsections (a)
   92  and (b) of this section are set forth shall not be read to
   93  establish any priority of one standard over the other within
   94  that subsection.
   95         SECTION 21. Standards for establishing legislative district
   96  boundaries.—In establishing legislative district boundaries:
   97         (a) No apportionment plan or district shall be drawn with
   98  the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an
   99  incumbent; and districts shall not be drawn with the intent or
  100  result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial
  101  or language minorities to participate in the political process
  102  or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their
  103  choice; and districts shall consist of contiguous territory.
  104         (b) Unless compliance with the standards in this subsection
  105  conflicts with the standards in subsection (a) or with federal
  106  law, districts shall be as nearly equal in population as is
  107  practicable; districts shall be compact; and districts shall,
  108  where feasible, utilize existing political and geographical
  109  boundaries.
  110         (c) The order in which the standards within subsections (a)
  111  and (b) of this section are set forth shall not be read to
  112  establish any priority of one standard over the other within
  113  that subsection.
  114  
  115         A new section is added to Article VI of the State
  116  Constitution to read:
  117                             ARTICLE VI                            
  118                       SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS                      
  119         Independent redistricting commission.—
  120         (a) By February 28 of each year that ends in the numeral 1,
  121  an independent redistricting commission is established to
  122  provide for the redistricting of congressional and state
  123  legislative districts. The independent redistricting commission
  124  is composed of eleven members. No more than five members of the
  125  independent redistricting commission may be members of the same
  126  political party. Of the first ten members appointed, no more
  127  than four members may reside in the same county. Each member
  128  must be a registered elector of this state who has been
  129  continuously registered with the same political party or
  130  registered with no party affiliation for three or more years
  131  immediately preceding appointment, who is committed to applying
  132  this section in an honest, independent, and impartial fashion,
  133  and to upholding public confidence in the integrity of the
  134  redistricting process. For three years before appointment, a
  135  member may not have been appointed to, elected to, or a
  136  candidate for any other public office, including precinct
  137  committeeman or committeewoman, but not including member of a
  138  school board, and may not have served as an officer of a
  139  political party, a registered paid lobbyist, or as an officer of
  140  a candidate’s campaign or political committee.
  141         (b) The supreme court judicial nominating commission shall
  142  nominate candidates for appointment to the independent
  143  redistricting commission.
  144         (c) By January 8 of each year that ends in the numeral 1,
  145  the supreme court judicial nominating commission shall establish
  146  a pool of persons who are willing to serve on and are qualified
  147  for appointment to the independent redistricting commission. The
  148  pool of candidates shall consist of forty nominees, with fifteen
  149  nominees from each of the two largest political parties based on
  150  the most recent voter registration statistics in the state and
  151  ten nominees who are registered with no party affiliation or
  152  registered with a minor political party.
  153         (d) Appointments to the independent redistricting
  154  commission shall be made in accordance with this subsection. No
  155  later than January 31 of each year that ends in the numeral 1,
  156  the speaker of the house of representatives shall make two
  157  appointments to the commission from the pool of nominees.
  158  Following the speaker’s appointments, the minority leader of the
  159  house of representatives, the president of the senate, the
  160  minority leader of the senate, and the governor shall each
  161  consecutively appoint two members from the remaining pool of
  162  nominees. Each such official has a seven-day period in which to
  163  select his or her appointments following the last official to
  164  make appointments. Any official who fails to make an appointment
  165  within the specified time period will forfeit his or her ability
  166  to make the appointment. In the event that there are two or more
  167  minority parties within the house of representatives or the
  168  senate, the leader of the largest minority party by statewide
  169  party registration shall make the appointments.
  170         (e) Any vacancy for a seat of the commission that is filled
  171  pursuant to subsection (d) that remains as of March 1 of a year
  172  that ends in the numeral 1 shall be filled by the supreme court
  173  judicial nominating commission. The supreme court judicial
  174  nominating commission shall strive for political balance and
  175  fairness and appoint a member from the political party of the
  176  official who failed to appoint a member.
  177         (f) At a meeting called by the state’s chief election
  178  officer, the ten independent redistricting commission members
  179  shall select from the nomination pool of candidates unaffiliated
  180  with a political party or registered with a minor political
  181  party, by majority vote, an eleventh member who shall serve as
  182  chair. If the ten commissioners fail to appoint an eleventh
  183  member within fifteen days, the supreme court judicial
  184  nominating commission, striving for political balance and
  185  fairness, shall appoint an eleventh member from the nomination
  186  pool of candidates who are registered with no party affiliation
  187  or registered with a minor political party, who shall serve as
  188  chair.
  189         (g) The eleven commissioners shall select and appoint a
  190  vice-chair, by a majority vote, from among its members.
  191         (h) After having been served written notice and provided
  192  with an opportunity for a response, a member of the independent
  193  redistricting commission may be removed by the governor, with
  194  the concurrence of three-fifths of the senate, for substantial
  195  neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, or inability to
  196  discharge the duties of office.
  197         (i) If a commissioner or the chair does not complete the
  198  term of office for any reason, the supreme court judicial
  199  nominating commission shall nominate a pool of three candidates
  200  within the first thirty days after the vacancy occurs. The
  201  nominees shall be of the same political party or status as was
  202  the member who vacated the office at the time of his or her
  203  appointment, and the appointment other than the chair shall be
  204  made by the current holder of the office designated to make the
  205  original appointment. The appointment of a new chair shall be
  206  made by the remaining commissioners. If the appointment of a
  207  replacement commissioner or chair is not made within fourteen
  208  days following the presentation of the nominees, the supreme
  209  court judicial nominating commission shall make the appointment,
  210  striving for political balance and fairness. The newly appointed
  211  commissioner shall serve out the remainder of the original term.
  212         (j) Six commissioners, including the chair or vice-chair,
  213  constitutes a quorum. Six or more affirmative votes, including
  214  at least two from a commissioner from each of the two largest
  215  political parties, are required for any official action. When a
  216  quorum is present, the independent redistricting commission
  217  shall conduct business in meetings open to the public, with 48
  218  or more hours public notice provided.
  219         (k) Each commission member shall conduct themselves in a
  220  manner that is impartial and that reinforces public confidence
  221  in the integrity of the redistricting process. A commission
  222  member is ineligible for a period of ten years beginning from
  223  the date of appointment to hold elective public office at the
  224  federal, state, county, or municipal level in this state. A
  225  member of the commission is ineligible for a period of five
  226  years beginning from the date of appointment to hold appointive
  227  federal, state, or local public office, to serve as paid staff
  228  for, or as a paid consultant to the legislature, or any
  229  individual legislator, or to register as a federal, state, or
  230  local government lobbyist in this state.
  231         (l) The independent redistricting commission shall
  232  establish congressional and legislative districts. At the
  233  commencement of the mapping process for both congressional and
  234  state legislative districts, a grid-like pattern of districts of
  235  equal population across the state shall be created. The
  236  commission shall make adjustments to the grid as necessary to
  237  accommodate the goals prescribed in this subsection:
  238         (1) Districts shall comply with the United States
  239  Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as
  240  amended;
  241         (2) Congressional districts shall have equal population to
  242  the extent practicable, and state legislative districts shall
  243  have equal population to the extent practicable;
  244         (3)Any district may not be drawn with the intent to favor
  245  or disfavor a political party or an incumbent; and districts may
  246  not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging
  247  the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to
  248  participate in the political process or to diminish their
  249  ability to elect representatives of their choice.
  250         (4) Districts shall be geographically compact and
  251  contiguous to the extent practicable;
  252         (5) District boundaries must respect communities of
  253  interest to the extent practicable;
  254         (6)To the extent practicable, district lines must use
  255  visible geographic features, municipal and county boundaries,
  256  and undivided census tracts; and
  257         (7)To the extent practicable, competitive districts should
  258  be favored if doing so would not be significantly detrimental to
  259  the other goals of this subsection.
  260         (m) Party registration and voting history data must be
  261  excluded from the initial phase of the mapping process but may
  262  be used to test maps for compliance with the goals prescribed in
  263  subsection (l). The places of residence of incumbents or
  264  candidates may not be identified or considered.
  265         (n) The independent redistricting commission shall
  266  advertise a draft map of congressional districts and a draft map
  267  of state legislative districts to the public for comment, which
  268  comment shall be taken for a period of at least thirty days.
  269  Either one or both houses of the legislature may act within the
  270  comment period to make recommendations to the independent
  271  redistricting commission by resolution or by minority report,
  272  which must be considered by the independent redistricting
  273  commission. Thereafter, the independent redistricting commission
  274  shall then establish final district boundaries.
  275         (o) This section is self-executing. The independent
  276  redistricting commission shall certify the establishment of
  277  congressional and legislative districts to the custodian of
  278  state records upon final adoption.
  279         (p) Upon approval of this amendment, the department of
  280  management services or its successor agency shall make adequate
  281  office space available for the independent redistricting
  282  commission. The chief financial officer shall make $1,500,000
  283  available for the work of the independent redistricting
  284  commission pursuant to the most recent decennial census on an
  285  annual basis. Half of the unused monies shall carry over and the
  286  remainder shall be returned to the general revenue fund. In
  287  years ending in seven or eight after the year 2019, the
  288  department of management services or its successor agency shall
  289  submit to the legislature a recommendation for an appropriation
  290  for adequate redistricting expenses and shall make available
  291  adequate office space for the operation of the independent
  292  redistricting commission and those monies shall be included in
  293  the budget for that respective year.
  294         (q) The independent redistricting commission, with fiscal
  295  oversight from the department of management services or its
  296  successor agency, has procurement and contracting authority and
  297  may hire staff and consultants to assist in carrying out this
  298  section, including legal representation.
  299         (r) The independent redistricting commission has standing
  300  in legal actions challenging the adoption of any redistricting
  301  plan and the adequacy of resources provided for the operation of
  302  the independent redistricting commission. Resources less than
  303  the amount given to the prior commission, minus the monies
  304  returned by that commission, shall be inadequate, unless the
  305  current commission explicitly forfeits certain resources by
  306  notifying the department of management services or its successor
  307  agency. The independent redistricting commission has sole
  308  authority to determine whether the attorney general or counsel
  309  hired or selected by the independent redistricting commission
  310  shall represent the people of the state in the legal defense of
  311  a redistricting plan.
  312         (s) Members of the independent redistricting commission
  313  shall serve without compensation, but are entitled to
  314  reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses in accordance
  315  with Florida law, and a commission member’s residence is deemed
  316  to be the member’s post of duty for purposes of calculating
  317  reimbursement of per diem and travel expenses.
  318         (t) Employees of the department of management services or
  319  its successor agency may not influence or attempt to influence
  320  the district-mapping decisions of the independent redistricting
  321  commission.
  322         (u) Each commissioner’s duties established by this section
  323  expire upon the appointment of the first member of the next
  324  redistricting commission. The independent redistricting
  325  commission may not meet or incur expenses after the
  326  redistricting plan is completed, except if litigation or any
  327  government approval of the plan is pending, or to revise
  328  districts if required by court decisions or if the number of
  329  congressional or state legislative districts is changed.
  330  
  331         Section 13 of Article XII of the State Constitution is
  332  repealed:
  333                             ARTICLE XII                           
  334                              SCHEDULE                             
  335         SECTION 13. Legislative apportionment.—The requirements of
  336  legislative apportionment in Section 16 of Article III of this
  337  revision shall apply only to the apportionment of the
  338  legislature following the decennial census of 1970, and
  339  thereafter.