TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ A judge is refusing to dismiss a pair of challenges to the Florida Senate's redistricting map.
Circuit Judge Terry Lewis in Tallahassee on Thursday rejected the state's argument that only the Florida Supreme Court can decide legislative redistricting cases, saying that “flies in the face of case law.''
Lawyers for the Legislature and Secretary of State Ken Detzner argued the case should be dismissed because the justices already have reviewed and upheld the map.
Democrats, the League of Women Voters of Florida and other plaintiffs say the high court conducted only a facial review. They contend the map “as applied'' violates anti-gerrymandering restrictions in the Florida Constitution.
The ruling doesn't involve challenges to redistricting Florida's 27 congressional seats because the Supreme Court did not review that map.
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