The gerrymander still rules in Florida

The Florida State Supreme court has taken an ammendment off the 2006 ballot that would have changed how congressional and legislative re-districting was done. The judges in a 6-1 did so in a 6-1 ruling.

I don't know anything about the ballot's writing. However I was skeptical about the ammendment. Not that non-political based re-districting wouldn't be good for democracy, but that I just don't see how it can be done. A 15-member commission means 15 people with some sort of political beliefs. Democrat or Republican, or leaning towards one or the other. I don't believe in a true independent. People may say they're independent but their voting habits would show otherwise. I think the ammendment was an idealistic solutic. Trouble is, we live in a realistic world. Didn't someone once say, "Ideals are for idealists."

So the ammendment is dead. Its supporters can try again for the 2008 ballot.

Open Post- Basil's Blog, Right Wing Nation, Blue Star, Bright & Early,

TALLAHASSEE -- A proposed constitutional amendment that would have stripped lawmakers of their power to redraw legislative and congressional districts was knocked off the ballot today by the Florida Supreme Court.

The justices in an 6-1 opinion ruled the proposal failed to meet requirements to address no more than a single subject and have clear and unambiguous ballot language.

The citizen initiative would have set up a 15-member commission to handle redistricting every 10 years. Sponsors had collected the 611,000 signatures needed to put the amendment on the Nov. 7 ballot.