AL LAWSON

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wanted to appoint Renatha Francis for the position on the state's supreme court, he met with challenges. Two years later, he was able to make his appointment.

A state appeals court has reinstated a new congressional map drawn by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff that could diminish Florida’s Black representation in Washington, a week after a lower court judge said the map was unconstitutional.

A judge’s ruling that a new congressional map drawn by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff is unconstitutional has been appealed by the state.

Voting-rights groups and other plaintiffs have filed a revamped federal lawsuit contending that a congressional redistricting plan passed last month by Florida lawmakers is unconstitutional.

The judge found that the map violates the state constitution by diluting the Black vote in a northern Florida district.

The judge found that the map violates the state constitution by diluting the Black vote in a northern Florida district.

By Staff WriterAnthony “Tony” Hill, labor leader and former Florida State senator and legislative aid to Congressman Al Lawson, announced his candidacy for the Florida Fourth Congressional District, the newly drawn seat covering half of Duval County plus all of Nassau and Clay counties. Former state senator Tony Hill will run for the newly drawn Northeast Florida congressional district, bringing a campaign-tested Democrat into the race for a seat covering half of Duval. But it does include Jacksonville where Tony Hill, a leader in the A. Phillip Randolph. This has to do with constituents in the Fourth District “Hill has been immersed for decades in politics. Portions of this article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tony Hill jumps into race for Congress in redistricted seat

Voting rights groups have sued Florida over a congressional map drawn by Gov. Ron DeSantis and passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature.

They chanted ‘We will not be denied,’ sang 'We Shall Overcome’ and bowed their heads in prayer before the session went into recess.

Under the new map, Republicans would probably represent 20 districts while Democrats would represent eight.

Just seven Republicans, along with most Democrats, used remote voting in the House when voting-from-somewhere-else was first allowed two years ago as the pandemic erupted.

Since entering Congress in 2013, Rep. Eric Swalwell has watched the morality of the GOP disintegrate under the leadership of Donald Trump. Is there anything left to salvage? The congressman joins Katie Phang to discuss.

DeSantis blocked maps drawn by the Republican-led state legislature, including one that had received bipartisan support.

DeSantis election law gutted; federal judge says it targets BlacksCongressman Charlie Crist, (D) St. Petersburg – Candidate for GovernorTALLAHASSEE—Governor Ron DeSantis’ assault on voting rights and attempts to eliminate Florida’s Black congressional districts has the Congressional Black Caucus preparing to hold a hearing in Tallahassee on April 13. DeSantis vetoed a legislative redistricting map that failed to dismantle a minority NorthFlorida district held by US Representative Al Lawson. In 2010, Ellen Freidin, who led the successful constitutional amendments 5 & 6 effort to prevent gerrymandering in Florida, pointed out that Governor DeSantis is in fact violating those laws. Congresswoman Val Demings represents the other district DeSantis wants to undo. Time is the enemy of the process now that the redo is necessary because candidates have no districts to run in.

In a rare disagreement with the Republican-dominated Legislature, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the state's newly drawn congressional maps Tuesday, and lawmakers will hold a special session in April to redraw them. The veto puts more pressure on the Republican-dominated Legislature to approve a map and resolve any resulting lawsuits before the June 13 to 17 qualifying period for federal candidates. Florida is also creating a new 28th district because of population growth.

The Florida Supreme Court is telling Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis it will not answer his question on whether a Black congressman’s district is unconstitutional.

The Florida Supreme Court told Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday it will not answer his question on whether a Black congressman's district is unconstitutional. DeSantis has interjected himself into the once-a-decade process of drawing new congressional maps, something highly unusual for a governor to do. The House and Senate have considered maps that largely left Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Lawson's district intact, but DeSantis is pushing a map that would make his district lean Republican.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has submitted a proposal to reshape the state's congressional map and carve up districts held by Black Democrats, as the Republican takes the unusual step of inserting himself into the redistricting process. The proposed congressional map, submitted Sunday on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, signaled the governor's priorities as the state moves to redraw political maps in the coming months. DeSantis, who is running for reelection and is considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate, has largely shaped the legislative agenda in the Republican-controlled statehouse this year.

An army of firefighters is working in hot, dry and windy weather to contain blazes chewing through wilderness and burning homes across drought-stricken Western states.

The fires are fueled by the drought-dried brush and high temperatures

Gadsden County Commissioner Brenda Holt, Monica Rainge, USDA deputy assistant secretary for civil rights, FAMU President Larry Robinson, CAFS Dean Robert Taylor and Vonda Richardson, head of FAMU Co-op Extension. In order to be eligible, farmers must have an outstanding qualified loan as of January 1, 2021. “They are not with the USDA,” Rainge said. In America, the number of Black farmers has consistently declined from nearly 1 million in 1920 to fewer than 50,000 today. A century ago, 13,000 Black farmers operated across Florida compared to just 2,000 today.

Lawmakers are pressing the central bank to deliver more aid to struggling small and mid-sized businesses. And now many lawmakers are asking the Fed to expand its lending to small and medium-sized businesses, by allowing companies to offer assets such as commercial properties as collateral. The decision is on the doorstep of Fed Chairman Jay Powell and Steven Mnuchin, the Trump administrations treasury secretary. Its risky because it can be hard for the Fed to accurately appraise assets right now, he told The Associated Press. If it makes riskier loans, the Fed may be seen as propping up teetering zombie businesses that could default on payments.

The thirty-one-year-old was hired in July as the Southern Political Director to former Vice President Joe Bidens presidential campaignI was a Senate Page in high school, Evans said. Vice President Joe Biden is the candidate I believe should be the next President of the United States, Evans said. More often than not folks want you to level with them and present the facts and eliminate the fluff.Kamau Marshall, Director of Strategic Communications for the Biden Campaign said Evans will assist with key Southern states. As the Southern Political Director, Vince adds a lot to the campaign, Marshall said. I also have to make time for self-care and take a whole lot of Emergen-C.Campaigns can be grueling work, Evans said.

PA. When Vince Evans entered the world of politics, he was a teenager starting a week-long stint as a page in the Florida Senate. The thirty-one-year-old was hired in July as the Southern Political Director to former Vice President Joe Bidens presidential campaign. Vice President Joe Biden is the candidate I believe should be the next President of the United States, Evans said. More often than not, folks want you to level with them and present the facts and eliminate the fluff.Kamau Marshall, Director of Strategic Communications for the Biden Campaign said Evans would assist with critical Southern states. I also have to make time for self-care and take a whole lot of Emergen-C.Campaigns can be grueling work, Evans said.