Desantis Delays Florida’s Redistricting Session — And Tacks On Ai, Vaccines

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis late Wednesday pushed back the date of a redistricting special session that was scheduled to start next week — but is also ordering lawmakers back to town to consider a contentious bill on vaccines, as well as an artificial intelligence Bill of Rights.

DeSantis’ new special session call would require state legislators to return to town on April 28 for four days.

Florida has been seen as the final redistricting hope for Republicans after months of a tit-for-tat frenzy that has sparked referendums and legislative action in multiple blue and red states. DeSantis in January initially ordered legislators to hold a special session on mid-decade redistricting that would have started next Monday.

But the governor’s actions now add two contentious and politically fraught items for the the Legislature’s to-do list. DeSantis had pushed for an AI Bill of Rights only to see it get rebuffed by the state House, whose leaders said they were aligned with President Donald Trump on leaving regulation to the federal government.

DeSantis also wanted lawmakers to pass a bill that would expand the types of exemptions parents could use to opt their children out of school vaccines.

It’s not clear if House Republicans will go along with added items being sought by DeSantis.

State Senate President Ben Albritton sent out a memo on Thursday evening outlining which senators would be filing the bills that will be considered during the special session.

Albritton also said the DeSantis administration would be responsible for submitting a proposed congressional map for the Senate to consider. He added that it was “my expectation” that the governor’s office would be responsible for presenting and explaining the map to senators in a committee meeting.

Democrats are firmly opposed to redistricting and earlier in the day called it “illegal” because Florida’s constitution prohibits drawing new districts for partisan gain or to help or harm incumbents.

“Pushing it back one week doesn’t change the fact that there is no reason for us to be doing a mid-decade restricting congressional map,” said state Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman. “The same concerns we raised — having to do with the fact that there is no new census numbers and that the only reason appears to be to get more Republican seats — are still in play. This is a violation of the Fair Districts Amendment and is unconstitutional.”