When you can’t win fairly, cheat – appears to be the Republican approach in Florida. Until last year, Florida still operated under one of the largest-scale voter suppression laws in the nation. That changed with passage of Amendment 4 last November, restoring voting rights to an estimated 1.4 million ex-felons, most of whom are black and poor who have completed their sentences, including probation, and paid back restitution; and would exclude those who committed felony sexual offenses or murder.
Republican lawmakers in Florida are looking to narrow the scope of the vote which could potentially impact the state’s political climate because of the GOP fear that the new voters are likely to support Democratic candidates. Florida is a significant swing state that voted for both Barack Obama and Donald Trump for president.
The Amendment was enacted on 8 January 2019, presumably at midnight. This gives a divisive, slightly over-hopeful and discouraging chart. There’s a focal point Uranus in the 7th which certainly can foster a drive for reform, but is likely to upset a fair few apple-carts along the way. There’s a repressive Sun, Saturn, Pluto in the domestic 4th, suggesting a mutinous response within the state – and maybe a long drawn out struggle. Plus a head-in-the-clouds Jupiter square Neptune; and an argumentative, bad-tempered Mars square Saturn which can denote setbacks.
This July’s Cancer Solar Eclipse will have a strong impact since it is conjunct the midheaven (for a midnight start) and even if not will elbow the Saturn Sun, so may be discouraging or involve a considerable effort to maintain the status quo.
Well, let’s just hope all these ex-felons are or will move to Gainesville and Jacksonville. Florida is hidiously, and I mean hidiously, gerrymandeled. While democraphics will ultimately turn Southern Districts, even places like Naples, solidly blue, Gainesville and Jacksonville would not experience same surge.
@Solaia
You’re mistaken about Gainesville and Jacksonville (where I live). Gainesville is a major university town (home to University of Florida) in Alachua County – Alachua County is HEAVILY Democrat and always goes Democrat in local, state, and federal elections. Jacksonville (where I live) is in Duval County and this also a majority Democratic city and country….and Senator Bill Nelson and Andrew Gillum won our county last year.
Naples is in Collier County and that is NOT a Democratic county at all. Rick Scott (who I hate with such an immense passion) lives there and it is a predominately affluent Non-Hispanic White area and HEAVILY Republican. Democrats don’t even bother campaigning in Collier County – it’s a waste of time down there.
As for the gerrymandering here in Florida, it’s actually not as bad as it used to be. In 2015, the Florida Supreme Court did approve of a congressional map that is a little more favorable to Democrats (the Republicans have been fighting this ever since). And right now, there are 14 Republican U.S. House Representatives and 13 Democratic U.S. House Representatives representing us here in Florida.
I’m hoping that Amendment 4 will give us Democrats an edge in gubernatorial, U.S. Senate, and Presidential elections here in Florida.
Chris Romero
Jacksonville, Florida