TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida legislators are already at odds over new districts for state senators.
The Florida Legislature on Monday opened a 19-day special session to redraw 40 state senate districts.
This past summer, the Senate acknowledged in court filings that it violated the state constitution by creating previous maps that benefit Republicans and incumbents.
But the new round of map drawing is quickly coming under fire. That's because Senate Republicans are now saying that several senators can keep their current seats, even if the boundaries are changed during the special session.
Senate Democrats disagree. And House Speaker Steve Crisafulli said the House's legal position has been that all 40 senators would have to run again in 2016.
The Florida Supreme Court in 1982 ruled that state senators must run for new terms if their districts changed.
