Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Redistricting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sen. Mack Bernard outlines redistricting changes, legal challenges and local implications for Riviera Beach
Summary
State Sen. Mack Bernard described mid-decade redistricting that shifts Riviera Beach into a different congressional district, previewed a special legislative session on the budget, and warned of lawsuits and uncertain timing as residents consider outreach and voter-engagement strategies.
State Sen. Mack Bernard told a Riviera Beach town hall that the governor's mid-decade redistricting significantly altered congressional boundaries affecting Palm Beach County and Riviera Beach.
"The governor basically gerrymandered the map that we're operating under," Bernard said, describing how District 20 was removed from Palm Beach County and how Riviera Beach is now placed in a district currently represented by Rep. Lois Frankel.
Bernard explained the Legislature failed to finish the regular 60-day budget process and that lawmakers have been called into a special session to finalize the budget. He said litigation followed the governor's signed map, with groups such as Common Cause filing suit, and predicted some lawsuits will reach the Florida Supreme Court but may not be resolved before candidate qualifying periods.
He cautioned residents that the new lines create competitive coastal and western districts that will attract expensive campaigns and advised local coalition-building: "If you think about it, this district now ... is represented by Lois Frankel ... So what will eventually have to happen is we have to continue to work not just Riviera Beach, but work with West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach ... so that way we're speaking in one voice," Bernard said.
Residents asked how to preserve representation and whether outreach or town halls with new or incumbent members of Congress could help sustain Riviera Beach's influence. Bernard recommended voter registration drives, coordinated agendas for visiting candidates and collaborative town halls with neighboring cities.
He also warned of a significant Supreme Court decision that he said affects Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and said that pending litigation may complicate redistricting challenges but that voter turnout will be decisive in the November elections.
This article is based on Bernard's presentation and the question-and-answer session at the Riviera Beach town hall.
