Overview
- Florida moved its special session on congressional districts to April 28–May 1, placing it after Virginia’s April 21 vote on restoring map-drawing power to that state’s Democratic legislature.
- The governor’s office plans to submit a proposed Florida map for lawmakers to consider, and the state Senate told members it will not draft its own plan in advance.
- Senate President Ben Albritton warned that Florida’s anti-gerrymandering rules, which bar maps that favor a party or incumbent, have drawn major lawsuits in past cycles.
- The agenda also revives bills for a K–12 vaccine opt-out and an “AI Bill of Rights” that adds safeguards for minors online and requires clearer disclosures for consumers.
- The stakes are national, with Florida’s 28-seat delegation now 20–8 Republican and Virginia’s proposed map reported to shift a 6–5 Democratic edge to 10–1, raising the odds of court fights if Florida lines change.