Florida lawmakers cave to DeSantis on redistricting and will defer to him with new map

Republican legislative leaders in Florida have given up trying to draw new congressional boundaries that can win Gov. Ron DeSantis' signature and, in an unprecedented move, announced Monday that they intend to essentially cede this constitutional power to the executive branch.

In a joint statement, state House Speaker Chris Sprowls and state Senate President Wilton Simpson said legislative staff will not draft a new map for lawmakers to consider when they convene in Tallahassee next week for a special session on redistricting. Instead, the legislative leaders announced they intend to let DeSantis decide how to reapportion the state's 28 congressional districts for the next decade.

"We are awaiting a communication from the governor's office with a map that he will support," they said.

DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last month, DeSantis vetoed the new district boundaries approved by lawmakers -- a rare public display of contention between the governor and a state legislature controlled entirely by his own party. DeSantis has demanded the legislature join his fight to eliminate two districts where Black residents are a plurality.

For months, Republican lawmakers appeared ready to defy DeSantis, passing a map even after he threatened to veto it. House and Senate map drawers defended their maps as constitutional and insisted the governor was leading lawmakers toward a court fight with specious legal footing.