TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A state judge has ruled that a congressional map approved by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and drawn by his staff is unconstitutional because it breaks up a district where Black voters can choose their representatives. Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith said Wednesday that he will issue a formal order Thursday or Friday to keep the maps from taking effect in November’s election. Smith made it clear he would rule in favor of voting rights groups challenging the maps. DeSantis' office confirmed it will appeal the ruling.
Marta Lavandier/AP
FILE - In this Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 file photo, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of a monoclonal antibody site in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appealed a judge’s ruling that the governor exceeded his authority in ordering school boards not to impose strict mask requirements on students to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The governor’s lawyers took their case Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 to the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
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