Florida lawmakers are pushing a major reform aimed at ending partisan gerrymandering and giving voters more control over who represents them. Representative Daryl Campbell (D–Fort Lauderdale) and Senator Shevrin Jones (D–Miami Gardens) filed legislation this week that would create three citizen-led commissions to draw fair, transparent legislative and congressional maps.
The proposals, HJR 619 and SJR 728, aim to replace Florida’s current system—where politicians largely control how districts are drawn—with independent panels made up of everyday Floridians. Lawmakers, lobbyists, and recent political insiders would be barred from serving.
“For years, Florida’s political maps have been drawn to protect politicians instead of people,” said Campbell. “Now, in 2025, here we are again, in the middle of an illegal and unconstitutional attempt to rig the game for one man. This bill puts the voters back in charge.”
Senator Jones added that fair maps are essential for democracy. “For too long, the people of Florida have been forced to live under a system where politicians pick their voters, silencing diverse voices and cementing power in the hands of a few,” he said. “This bill takes that power out of the backrooms of the Capitol and puts it squarely where it belongs: with the citizens of our state.”
The legislation also expands legislative representation, giving voters more direct access to government. All meetings of the commissions would be public, streamed online, and open to citizen input. Maps would need to follow the Fair Districts standards adopted by voters in 2010, and districts could not be drawn to dilute minority voting power.
Campbell and Jones say the measure represents the most ambitious redistricting reform in Florida history, seeking to restore public trust in government and ensure every vote carries equal weight.
This is a Hy-Lo News Staff Report.
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