DeSantis Vetoes Congressional Maps, Special Session Showdown on tap

After delaying 3 weeks, Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls formally sent their proposed congressional maps to Gov. Ron DeSantis, where they were quickly dismissed or vetoed.

Gov. DeSantis promised he would do this, so it’s anyone’s guess as to why they submitted the maps that DeSantis said he would veto.

Now the table is set for a potentially contentious special session that will be held April 19-22 in Tallahassee.

The map that DeSantis introduced and would like to see passed would eliminate Rep. Al Lawson’s Black congressional district.

"Our goal in all of this is to have a constitutional map," DeSantis said.

In addition, Gov. DeSantis could ask lawmakers to push through the Constitutional Carry measure currently in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R) introduced the measure but failed to garner a Senate sponsor for the bill. Sources within the Florida Legislature say that if Constitutional Carry is addressed during the special session, it won’t be Rep. Sabatini’s bill.

Sabatini has mounted a one-man wrecking ball campaign against Speaker Sprowls and President Simpson, calling them “RINO’s” as well as just about every Republican legislator who he feels does not conform with his political views.

Sabatini was recently labeled a “RINO” himself by his congressional opponent Cory Mills, who jabbed him for voting twice against the state budget, a budget that DeSantis will sign into law and that funds many important initiatives, including the allocation of funds to help wounded soldiers and other veterans.

Speaker Sprowls and President Simpson put out this joint statement in regards to the upcoming special legislative session:

“Notwithstanding the delayed census, during the 2022 Regular Session, Florida’s Legislature passed new House and Senate maps with strong bipartisan support. For the first time in nearly a century, the Legislature’s maps were not challenged by a single party, and earlier this month were declared valid by the Florida Supreme Court.

“Unlike state legislative maps, the congressional map requires approval by the Governor, and Governor DeSantis has vetoed the legislation we passed earlier this month. Our goal is for Florida to have a new congressional map passed by the Legislature, signed by the Governor, and upheld by the court if challenged. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to exhaust every effort in pursuit of a legislative solution. We look forward to working with our colleagues and Governor DeSantis during the upcoming special session on a congressional map that will earn the support of the Legislature and the Governor and fulfill our constitutional obligation for the 2022 redistricting process.”