Florida’s First District Court of Appeal has issued a stay and reinstated a gerrymandered congressional map drawn by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The organizational Plaintiffs in this case, which include the League of Women Voters of Florida, Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute, Equal Ground Education Fund, and Florida Rising Together, issue the following joint statement in response to the court’s order:

“Today’s ruling does nothing to change the fact that the Governor’s proposed map is a blatantly unconstitutional attack on Black representation in Florida. Rather than continuing to waste taxpayer money defending this map, it is our hope the Governor will drop this appeal and allow our state to move forward with Congressional districts that follow the will of the voters under the Fair Districts Amendments and allow all Floridians to make their voices heard in decisions that directly impact their communities. On Emancipation Day (May 20) in Florida, we are once again reminded that the fight for equal rights for all continues and we look forward to prevailing on behalf of the people of our state.”