FL: Rereredistricting

[Virginiá]

If anyone doesn't mind, I have a question about these maps and others. What are the chances Democrats will be able to obtain a majority in the State Senate with these new maps? Because the way this reads, it almost seems like the base composition could now be 18 (D) / 22 (R) or 19 (D) / 21 (R). Sort of how the Virginia State Senate is. Given this, a bare majority on a good year does indeed at least seem possible.

Also, how come the State House maps were never challenged? If the State Senate maps were gerrymandered, I would think the State House maps would at least be vulnerable to a challenge (only because to me, it would seem too unrealistic for one chamber to rig their maps and the other to not). I mean, Republicans have a pretty large majority in the State House but now with the State Senate, it looks very close. How can there be such a large discrepancy?

[Virginiá]

There's definitely a possibility of a Dem majority,  if not in 2016, then certainly by 2020.

Thanks! I was really curious of their chances, as after spending time on outreach for Amendment 1 (Env/conservation funding - in Florida) and it passing by a landslide, the legislature then goes on to basically act as if it didn't pass and tries not to fund it. Basically exactly what they did with the Fair Maps amendment - Ignore it until literally forced by the State Supreme Court. As if the state/US Constitution only matters when it's their issues at stake.

I look forward to one day not being jerked around by an asshole Republican majority.

[Virginiá]

Thanks for the very detailed response!

[Virginiá]

The Florida court picked the Dem friendly map? I'm shocked! After Muon2's model code (after we get it right) is adopted in Illinois, its first stop, the next stop is Florida.

Wouldn't almost any other map be Democrat-friendly, though? I'm not a map drawer but I've seen mock attempts at the Congressional districts for a Democratic gerrymander that netted a lot more seats than the map they adopted. I feel like the same could be done for the Senate one, too. It just seems like a fair map. Hell, if the GOP wasn't doing so terribly with non-white voters, it wouldn't be so skewed.

Then again, I think unless we completely took it out of people's hands and let computers draw the maps, there is always going to be a discussion like this on any map.