Florida Governor DeSantis calls April special session on redistricting

Gov. Ron DeSantis has scheduled a special legislative session for April 20–24 to consider redrawing Florida's congressional map; the dates follow the regular session and may conflict with the April 24 candidate filing deadline.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday called a special legislative session for April to take up a redraw of the state's congressional map. He set the dates for April 20–24 and said the special session will occur after the regular legislative session. DeSantis framed the move as intended to ensure fair and constitutional representation and indicated he wanted to wait for a possible U.S. Supreme Court ruling affecting the Voting Rights Act. The announcement comes amid a broader mid-decade redistricting effort by multiple states and ongoing debate about map changes. Key details: - The special legislative session is scheduled for April 20–24, as announced by DeSantis. - DeSantis said the session will follow the regular legislative session and made the announcement in a post on X. - The April 20–24 dates would run up against Florida's April 24 candidate filing deadline; that deadline could be moved, the article notes. - Florida's primary elections are scheduled for August. - Republicans currently hold 20 of Florida's 28 congressional districts, and the article says some in the party hope a new map could allow them to pick up three to five seats. - The Florida Constitution bars partisan gerrymandering, which the article identifies as a legal hurdle for any mid-decade redrawing. Summary: The announced April special session advances Florida's mid-decade redistricting effort and could lead to a new congressional map before the August primaries. The session's timing may require attention to the April 24 candidate filing deadline. The outcome will depend on the legislative process and legal constraints, including the state constitutional ban on partisan gerrymandering.