Redistricting expert calls DeSantis a 'modern-day George Wallace' in angry testimony over his proposed map

On Tuesday, on the first day of the Florida legislature's special session, redistricting expert and former Democratic strategist Matthew Isbell stepped up to give testimony — and bitterly tore into the lawmakers in the state Senate for going back on their previous support for minority representation to consider a map pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that would cut the number of Black-opportunity districts from 4 to 2.

"Members of this committee, for months the vast majority of you pledged your support to preserving districts that gave African-Americans the ability to elect a candidate of their choice," said Isbell. "You defended seats that were, in some form or fashion, drawn three decades ago to correct centuries of injustice. The laws and cases from the late 20th century saw an explosion of minority representation. Since the passage of the 1982 Voting Rights Act, the number of African-American congresspeople has gone from 18 to 60. Florida is part of this very tradition."

"Redistricting in Florida began with such promise," said Isbell. "Draft maps from both chambers had anywhere from three to four seats designed to give African-Americans a chance to elect a candidate of their choice. Efforts from alt-right Twitter activists to dismantle districts like CD 5 and 10 were ignored by you lawmakers for the longest time. But now, with the governor's intervention, you have backtracked on all of these principles in the name of party unity. And for what reason? To appease a governor who sees his path to the presidency by acting like a modern-day George Wallace."

"We see the private grumblings that many of you have fed to the press, expressing your off-the-record concern," added Isbell. "Most of you openly admit in private to being afraid of the governor. He's threatened primaries to you, to your colleagues, and he's threatened to black out your budget items. Why don't you just come out and say that he's blackmailing you, instead of coming up with fake legal justifications? Why don't you at least admit that you're afraid of him and you want him to like you? Why don't you just admit that you're cowards?"

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