Currents
May 2017
3
Taming the Third Branch
T
he 2016 elections seemed
to have emboldened the
extremes of both sides of the
spectrum. North Carolina is a
prime example. When “the peo-
ple” spoke, and eliminated a
Republican from the State House,
the Grand Ole Party decided to
take the ball and go home. The
Legislature passed laws and rules
stripping the Governorship of all
but ceremonial powers.
Once the Democrats sued and
reached Federal court, the
assigned judge struck down the
legislative efforts forthwith. Did I
mention the Right is energized?
The studious hard-working
North Carolinian servants of the
people, quickly set out to forge a
work around, using the judge's
order as a blueprint.
Not to be out done, the
Florida legislature joined the
movement by retaliating; after
losing in court in 2011 and 2012,
in gerrymandering cases, they
have targeted the State Judiciary.
The attack strategy is taking a
two-pronged approach.
Their first strategy is through
legislation making the judges liti-
gants during court challenges to
gerrymandering. House bill 953
would authorize changes to the
Fair Districts amendments to the
Florida Constitution. The House
Public Integrity and Ethics Com-
mittee voted 14-3 to change the
implementation of the anti-gerry-
mandering provisions of the
Constitution, which subjected
the Republican-led Legislature to
years of litigation and an admis-
sion that they intentionally drew
districts that favored incumbents
and parties in violation of the
law. Three Democrats joined with
Republicans to support the bill
and three Democrats opposed.
Under the amendment added
to HB 953 by Rep. Larry Ahern, R-
Seminole, any challenges to a
redistricting map would have to
occur within 60 days after the
maps are passed, effectively
short-circuiting the time for chal-
lengers to obtain records, under
the Sunshine laws, to prepare a
case.
The bill also suspends any liti-
gation that occurs 71 days before
candidates qualify for election
and freezes the districts in place
until after the election. And, to
turn the tables on the judiciary if
it must resolve a dispute over the
maps, the bill would subject
judges to cross-examination.
The bill thus supports partisan
efforts for incumbents by sus-
pending any litigation that occurs
71 DAYS before candidates qual-
ify for election! And freezes the
districts in place until after the
continued on page 4 >
S TOP Y OUR
W INDOW L EAK P ROBLEMS
Be
P
Hu repa
rric red
Fix
you ane for
th
S
r W
in eas e
NO dow on
W!
Lea
ks
Dried out gaskets and window stripping will cause window leaks.
I have the proper window stripping to repair all types of windows.
I also do Screening, Wrol-up Repair and Sliding Glass Doors.
C ALL
REE
F ATES
IM
EST
P ATRICK
Cell No. 954-829-4348
[email protected]
FPL
Independent
Participating
Contractor
3621 Washington Street • Hollywood, FL 33021