Representative Comment on Redistricting

ONE OF THE ISSUES STEMMING FROM THE PASSAGE OF THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAPS IN FLORIDA WAS THE LACK OF CONVERSATION HELD BY BOTH PARTIES. NO HOUSE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS, ASIDE FROM REPRESENTATIVE JAN, A PERSON'S MULLICA DEBATED A PROPOSAL FROM GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS. THE LEGISLATION PASSED THE HOUSE. 83 TO 28. WE REACHED OUT TO REPRESENTATIVE PERSONS-MULICKA AND HER OFFICE FOR COMMENT. BUT WE HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM EITHER PHONE CALLS OR EMAILS AS OF YET JOINING US NOW TO DISCUSS THE IMPACT THE NEW MAPS WILL HAVE ON VOTERS IS HOUSE MINORITY LEADER FENTRICE DRISKELL REPRESENTATIVE DRISKELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME TO SPEAK WITH US TODAY. WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE FACT THAT BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE ESSENTIALLY RUBBER STAMP TO THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL? THIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT A TOP AIDE FOR THE GOVERNOR WHO CLAIMED SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REDRAWING THE MAPS. ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGED IN PUBLIC TESTIMONY THAT HE RELIED ON PARTISAN DATA TO CREATE THESE NEW MAPS, WHICH IS POTENTIALLY A VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL BAN ON REDRAWING THOSE LINES FOR PARTISAN GAIN OR GERRYMANDERING. >> WE JUST TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH. THIS MAP IS AN ILLEGAL PARTISAN, GERRYMANDER, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. AND YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF WHY. WHY WOULD THE REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE EFFECTIVELY GIVE UP THEIR POWER SEAT, THEIR POWER TO THE GOVERNOR? WELL, WE KNOW THAT NONE OF THIS TOOK PLACE IN A VACUUM AND WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE CONTEXT, WHICH IS THAT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAID THAT HE WANTED TO MAINTAIN A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN CONGRESS TO THE MIDTERMS. THAT IS WHEN DESANTIS, YOU KNOW, JUMPED INTO ACTION AND SAID THAT WE WOULD DO MID-DECADE REDISTRICTING AND THE REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE WENT ALONG WITH IT BECAUSE IT'S ALL IN SERVICE TO DONALD TRUMP. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW UNUSUAL IT IS TO HAVE A MID DECADE REDRAWING? >> OF THESE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT MAP? SO OUR AUDIENCE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS SO UNUSUAL. >> ABSOLUTELY. SO THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION SAYS THAT WE GO THROUGH A REDISTRICTING AND REAPPORTIONMENT PROCESS ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS BASED ON THE CENSUS BASED ON THE RESEARCH THAT MY TEAM AND I DID, WE CANNOT FIND ANY EXAMPLE OF WHERE FLORIDA HAS EVER DONE THIS BEFORE. AND WE'VE BEEN A STATE IN THIS UNION FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME. SO IN THE HUNDREDS OF YEARS THAT WE'VE EXISTED, WE CAN'T FIND ANY EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE'VE WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE AS A STATE. IT IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CENSUS DATA TO DRAW THE MAPS TO IN ORDER TO SUBSTANTIATE HOW YOU'RE GOING TO REDRAW THESE LINES AND TRACK POPULATION MOVEMENTS. AND SO IT'S BIZARRE FOR FROM A NUMBER OF STANDPOINTS FIRST THAT WE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE. AND SECOND, THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE DATA TO DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. >> AND WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU REALIZE THESE MAPS WERE RELEASED ON FOX NEWS ON THE MONDAY MORNING PRIOR TO LAWMAKERS EVEN GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THEM. >> I GOTTA TELL YOU, I WAS SHOCKED. >> NOT SURPRISED BECAUSE THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION, HIS TERM, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REMEMBERED FOR ONE OF THE LEAST TRANSPARENT IN FLORIDA HISTORY. >> HE DOESN'T ALWAYS LIKE TO MAKE HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS. HE THE OTHER. THEY DRAG THEIR FEET ON PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST. SOMETIMES IT'S HARD. EVEN FOR ME TO GET INFORMATION AS A LAWMAKER. SO IT WASN'T SURPRISING TO ME THAT THEY WERE WITHHOLDING INFORMATION, BUT IT WAS SHOCKING THE WAY THAT THEY RELEASED IT. AND I THINK IT WAS A DISRESPECT TO THEM MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND CERTAINLY TO THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA, NOT ALL OF WHOM ARE FANS OF FOX NEWS. I MEAN, IT THINGS ARE JUST GETTING WAY TOO PARTISAN IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO ME. AND I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW SO MANY OF FLORIDIANS FEEL LIKE GOVERNMENTS NOT WORKING FOR THEM OR PEOPLE AREN'T LISTENING TO THEM. IT'S BECAUSE ALL THESE POLITICAL GAMES AND POLITICAL STUNTS ARE BEING PLAYED WHEN THEY'RE DEALING WITH THIS AFFORDABILITY CRISIS IN JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD GROCERIES AND GAS AND HEALTH CARE AND RENT. IT JUST FEELS LIKE THE STATE IS MOVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. UNDER DESANTIS IS LEADERSHIP. >> AND WE HAVE 28 DISTRICTS, 20 ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT. BUT THESE NEW MAPS THAT ARE GOP FRIENDLY DISTRICTS, THEY AIM TO FLIP 4 OF THE 8 DEMOCRATIC DISTRICTS TO READ WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS WE APPROACHED THE MIDTERMS? >> IT IS TO HELP THE REPUBLICANS KEEP A MAJORITY IN CONGRESS IN THE MIDTERMS AND WHEN ASKED MYSELF, WHY IS THAT THEY WOULD DO THIS IS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEIR POLICIES ARE FAILING ON IMMIGRATION. THEIR POLICIES ARE NOT POPULAR. PEOPLE ARE FEELING LIKE THIS IS NOT WHAT I VOTED FOR IT. IT'S GONE TOO FAR WITH THE WAR IN IRAN. PEOPLE ARE QUESTIONING WHY ARE WE SENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND TO FUND THIS CONFLICT THAT THIS IS TRUMP'S CHOSEN MORE. THERE'S JUST A LOT GOING ON IN THE WORLD AND WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WHERE HIS POLICIES ARE FAILING AND RATHER THAN STAND TO ACCOUNT AND JUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND LET THE PEOPLE VOTE AND CHOOSE THEIR POLITICIANS. HE IS IN IN INJECTED HIMSELF INTO THE PROCESS, INSERTED HIMSELF INTO THE PROCESS WITH ALL OF THIS DO I? I THINK AS MORE INFORMATION COMES OUT, WE'RE GOING TO FIND INCREASING INFORMATION ABOUT JUST HOW MUCH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION I WAS WORKING WITH THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION TO DRAW THIS MAP AND IT'S ALL ABOUT HELPING THE REPUBLICANS RETAIN POWER IN CONGRESS IN THE MIDTERMS. >> WHAT KIND OF LEGAL CHALLENGE IS CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE UNFOLD? >> WELL, FOR STARTERS, WE KNOW THAT PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING IS STILL ILLEGAL UNDER STATE LAW. THE FAIR DISTRICT AMENDMENT STILL ARE THE LAW OF THE LAND IN FLORIDA. AND SO YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE A CHALLENGE ON THAT. ADDITIONALLY, THESE DISTRICTS, I BELIEVE, HAVE SOME RACIAL DIMINISHMENT AND THAT TO GET TOO IN THE WEEDS AND SOUND TOO MUCH LIKE THE LAWYER. I AM. THERE'S A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE WITH REDISTRICTING THAT IF THERE IS A DISTRICT THAT IS A RACIALLY PROTECTED DISTRICT, YOU CANNOT DRAW NEW DISTRICT THAT DIMINISHES THE ABILITY OF THAT GROUP TO ELECT THE CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT AT LEAST 3 OUT OF 4 OF THESE DISTRICTS, THERE IS DIMINISHMENT. SO I THINK WE'LL SEE THAT. I THINK YOU CAN EXPECT A NUMBER OF LEGAL CHALLENGES AND HOPEFULLY THOSE CHALLENGES WILL BE EXPEDITED SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME RULINGS BEFORE THE ACTUAL ELECTION THIS YEAR. >> SO HOW DOES ALL OF THIS IMPACT VOTERS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA? IN THE MEANTIME? >> WELL, FOR VOTERS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THE REPUBLICANS IN THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE JUST TOLD YOU THAT YOUR VOICE DOESN'T MATTER, THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU. AND WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THESE MEMBERS HAVE VERY DIFFERENT POSITIONS, OFTENTIMES DEPENDENT UPON THE PARTY THAT THEY ARE A MEMBER OF. SO WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDING OF ICE WHEN IT COMES TO HOLDING THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ACCOUNTABLE, WHETHER OR NOT WE FUND THE WAR IN IRAN ON, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT A MEDIC HERE AT CONTINUES IN THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT CONTINUES. IT MATTERS WHETHER YOU'RE PUTTING REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS IN OFFICE IN TAMPA BAY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE I REPRESENT CONGRESSWOMAN KATHY CASTOR IS OUR PARK AND OUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS FOR TAMPA BAY. AND WE VOTED TO PUT HER THERE AND NOW THEY'RE EFFECTIVELY TAKING THAT AWAY, MAKING IT HARDER FOR HER TO RETAIN HER SEAT, THEREFORE, MAKING IT HARDER FOR US TO EXPRESS OUR VALUES IN THAT ELECTION. AND THAT'S HAPPENED IN CENTRAL FLORIDA AND IN SOUTH FLORIDA WITH THESE GERRYMANDERED MAPS. THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA AND WILL NOW BE MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO EXPRESS YOUR VALUES THROUGH THE ELECTORAL PROCESS AND ELECT A CANDIDATE THAT ACTUALLY REFLECTS THOSE VALUES AND WHO WILL GO TO CONGRESS AND FIGHT FOR YOU. >> WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE ULTIMATE EFFECT AND GOAL? FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE, AS IT'S OBVIOUSLY BEING REPORTED THAT MORE STATES ARE WORKING TO REDRAW THEIR MAPS AHEAD OF THE MIDTERM. SEVERAL STATES, INCLUDING TEXAS, NORTH CAROLINA AND MISSOURI READ DREW MAPS TO FAVOR REPUBLICANS. CALIFORNIA DID PASS A MAP THAT'S FAVORABLE TO DEMOCRATS AS WELL. WHAT IS THE THE BIG PICTURE IN ALL OF THIS? >> YOU KNOW, I'LL TELL YOU THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHEN I WAS 17 YEARS OLD WHEN I WAS IN 11TH GRADE AND I TAKE AP GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS AND MY TEACHER COACH TAYLOR POURED INTO ME. WE WOULD STAY AFTER CLASS TALKING ABOUT DEMOCRACY INTO TOCQUEVILLE AND THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT I ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE. IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR DEMOCRACY, ITS AN EROSION OF FUNDAMENTAL DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES BECAUSE RATHER THAN FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION BOTH FEDERALLY AND AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE SEE A LOT OF POLITICAL GAMESMANSHIP AND IT'S ALL ABOUT POWER AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO STARTED THIS FIGHT. THE PEOPLE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT DONALD TRUMP AS THE ONE WHO SET OFF THIS RACE TO THE BOTTOM. WE'RE NOW YOU HAVE GOT, YOU KNOW, REPUBLICAN LED STATES LIKE THIS ONE JUMPING INTO THE FRAY AND DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE HAVING THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH DRAW A MAP OF WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LEGISLATURE THAT DOES THAT AND ENGAGING IN MID-DECADE REDISTRICTING AND STRIPPING REPRESENTATION AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S OUR DEMOCRACY THAT LOSES. WE NEED MORE STABILITY. WE NEED MORE BALANCE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE. AND IF THEY TURNOUT IN THE MIDTERMS AND ACTUALLY DO THEIR BEST TO ELECT CANDIDATES WHO REFLECT THEIR VALUES AND WILL TRY TO BRING US BACK TO SOME SEMBLANCE OF SANITY AND FOCUS ON THE ISSUES THAT MATTER. MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA, WHICH I KNOW I HEAR IN MY COMMUNITY IS ALL ABOUT AFFORDABILITY. I BELIEVE IN YOUR FREEDOM TO BE HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS AND SAFE. AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME TO SPEAK WITH US TODAY. REPRESENTATIVE DRISKELL.