RIGHTEOUS: Florida House Democrats stage sit-in as Republicans approve DeSantis’ gerrymandered maps
The capitulation of the Republican-controlled state legislature to Ron DeSantis is now complete. The extremely gerrymandered maps proposed by the governor’s office, in an unprecedented move not seen in recent history, were fully approved yesterday in a fast-tracked special session that has shattered any semblance of democratic norms previously observed.
The map adopted is a dream for Florida Republicans and a nightmare for anyone who cares about a healthy democracy. It potentially adds four new Republican seats to the U.S. House of Representatives while cutting down the number of Black majority districts in the state from four to two. This is all part of DeSantis’ resume building for his potential run for president in 2024, as he will be able to tell Republicans in Congress that he had their back while throwing more red meat to the base.
During the debate over the maps on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives, Democrats were told that they can’t reference the racist history of Black disenfranchisement and Jim Crow racism as a reason to vote no on these maps that severely dilute Black voting power. Republicans threatened to cut the mics of their Democratic colleagues if they broke this censorship rule.
We’re being told on the House Floor that we can’t use the racist history of our nation as a reason why you should vote no on the maps because it might impune colleagues who are voting yes.
It might feel uncomfortable for some, but history is relevant when it’s repeating itself.
— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) April 21, 2022
That’s when Democrats had enough.
House Dems, led by Black members, hold sit in on House floor over congressional redistricting map drawn by @GovRonDeSantis reducing Black districts. pic.twitter.com/LWcuyW3HeT
— Gray Rohrer (@GrayRohrer) April 21, 2022
In an unprecedented and righteous move, House Democrats led by their Black colleagues staged a sit-in protest in the House Floor, driving the Republicans to leave and delaying their plans to disenfranchise millions of Floridians.
Democrats disrupt Florida House redistricting vote with song and prayer pic.twitter.com/njj0y0Vr5D
— james call (@CallTallahassee) April 21, 2022
As Democrats chant “Black votes are under attack,” House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Republican majority vote to approve DeSantis’ congressional map 68-38. pic.twitter.com/IwJeJJgx64
— Ana Ceballos (@anaceballos_) April 21, 2022
How did DeSantis and the Republicans react? By replicating tactics used authoritarian regimes to suppress protests, shutting off wifi access in the Capitol building to make it harder for journalists to live stream, and using law enforcement to remove media from the voting chambers. An Associated Press photographer was kicked off the floor by the sergeant-at-arms and had his media pass taken away, and the top security official also kicked out members of the public observing in the gallery and barred others from entering.
Florida Republicans are replicating tactics used by authoritarian regimes to suppress protests and have shut off wifi in the Capitol building to make it harder for journalists to livestream a sit in Democrats are staging against severely gerrymandered congressional maps. pic.twitter.com/oCng3IReCp
— Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn) April 21, 2022
Few reporters in public gallery of Florida House just got booted
We were there only because press area is packed, which you can see here pic.twitter.com/zQuyxcQhn2
— Matt Dixon (@Mdixon55) April 21, 2022
The protest by House Democrats followed the worst and most authoritarian legislative session that Florida has seen in recent history. Attacks on voting rights, immigrants, local government power, unions, reproductive rights, teachers, and LGBTQ folks and workers were all part of the Republican agenda. The special session called to adopt these extremely gerrymandered maps also includes a proposal to retaliate against the Walt Disney Company by ending special privileges the company enjoys after it paused political contributions in the state due to a proposal led by Republicans to restrict discussion of LGBTQ topics in public schools.
Ron DeSantis and his Florida Republican cohorts have now made clear what has always been clear. They only care about power for power’s sake and are willing to trample all over our democratic norms and constitution in the process. It’s up to the courts to reject this unprecedented power grab now.
Thomas Kennedy is an elected Democratic National Committee member representing Florida. He tweets from @tomaskenn.
RELATED STORY: VIDEO: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sends cops to eject our journalists for NO reason
