MIAMI – Today, the Florida NAACP, Florida League of Women Voters, Democracia Ahora, and several individual voters in Monroe County filed suit to require Governor Rick Scott and Secretary of State Kurt Browning to stop using the Voting Rights Act to advance their own political agenda. The suit asks the court to order Scott and Browning to re‐submit the FairDistricts amendments to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for approval. Without that approval, the new redistricting reforms cannot legally be implemented. The complaint is attached.
Two days after Governor Scott appointed Browning as Secretary of State, Browning’s office
withdrew Former Governor Crist’s earlier request for DOJ “pre‐clearance”. Pre‐clearance must be
obtained before the new redistricting standards can be implemented. The law requires that preclearance be obtained “as soon as possible” after the new standards became final in mid‐December, 2010. The DOJ review would have been completed by early this month had the new administration not stopped its progress. Legislative action on redistricting is already underway.
Before being re‐appointed Secretary of State, Browning headed up “Protect Your Vote,” the
committee that raised millions of dollars from special interests and politicians to oppose the
passage of the FairDistricts amendments. He was the public spokesperson against the reforms.
Those bringing this suit fought hard for the passage of the reforms which are intended to remove political favoritism and self‐dealing from the redistricting process. That process has already begun and will conclude in just over a year. Delay in DOJ approval will delay application of the new standards – apparently what the administration wants.
“It’s time to stop stonewalling. Governor Scott and Secretary Browning should not be abusing their power to frustrate the will of the 63% who voted for these reforms. The new standards must be sent to the Justice Department promptly to guarantee their implementation,” said Dan Gelber,
Counsel for FairDistricts Now.
“It is a shame to see the Governor and the Secretary of State purposefully disregard their
constitutional duty to follow the law. Clearly they are trying to stop the impact of these much
needed reforms.” said FairDistricts Now Board member Leon Russell, who also serves as a Vice
Chairman of the National Board of Directors of the NAACP. “It is important that these amendments
are pre‐cleared so that this redistricting process is carried out according to the standards that the people of Florida have established.”
“Preclearance is an important and essential step in the process to ensure we have fairly drawn
districts,” said Pamela Goodman, President of FairDistricts Now and Redistricting Chair of the
Florida League of Women’s Voters. “We will not be deterred.”
