No congressional maps were presented at a second meeting of the Florida House’s redistricting committee. Now, Democrats are questioning why any would be drafted at all.

Andy Bardos, counsel for the House, told members that two key court cases contribute to a different legal landscape than when the Legislature last approved congressional lines in 2022. Most importantly, the Florida Supreme Court upheld that map, which was drawn by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff and broke up a seat previously held by a Black Democrat. The other case out of Louisiana awaits a Supreme Court ruling in the coming term.

Rep. Kevin Chambliss, a Homestead Democrat, questioned how the Florida Supreme Court upholding the existing map merited the reconsideration of new lines.

“That map was deemed constitutional,” Chambliss said. “If that was conclusive to an action, then that means that’s done. So then what is the reason why we’re doing it now? I’m confused, because it seems like there was a conclusion there based on the court case, and now we’re having a conversation where the second court case isn’t even finished yet.”

Bardos stressed that the only reason the Florida Supreme Court considered the congressional map was because civil rights groups sued, but the legal challenge focused only on the breakup of the North Florida seat previously represented by U.S. Rep. Al Lawson.

Justices upheld the map, but determined the prior configuration of Lawson’s seat, itself the product of a 2015 Supreme Court decision, improperly considered race as the predominant motivation in drawing a district spanning from Tallahassee to Jacksonville.

“In the process of deciding that, the court articulated legal principles that had never before been set forth by a court in that way,” Bardos said.

For example, he said that even if lawmakers want to hold to a nondiminishment requirement in the “Fair Districts” amendments in Florida’s Constitution, lawmakers “can’t make race predominant.”

Still, Bardos in presentations also explained that portions of Florida’s Fair Districts remain unchanged, including a ban on drawing maps to favor a political party.

That could likely fuel any legal challenge to maps produced by the Legislature ahead of the 2026 Midterms. President Donald Trump has pressured Republican-controlled Legislatures to draw House maps that better improve the situation for Republicans.

Minutes before the Wednesday redistricting meeting, Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters, a member of the Florida Senate, reposted a prediction on X that Florida could net as many as five seats in redistricting. Florida’s U.S. House delegation currently includes 20 Republicans and eight Democrats.

But notably, the House is moving forward with redistricting before DeSantis or the Florida Senate takes action. Both the Governor and Senate President Ben Albritton said they think new cartography should wait until the Supreme Court rules in another redistricting case, Louisiana v. Callais.

“Just no matter what else happens, that is going to have to be addressed,” DeSantis said last week.

Bardos said any ruling on that case will only directly impact Louisiana. However, he said the Legislature may take action at any point to adhere to legal principles set forth in that ruling, issues that will impact any court challenges to political cartography in the future.

Rep. Bruce Antone, an Orlando Democrat, suggested there’s no legally compelling reason for the Legislature to look at maps right now.

“Once a state goes through the redistricting process, what compelling reasons would there be outside of a court case requiring redistricting?” Antone said. “What compelling reasons would require us to do this exercise a second time, mid-census?”

Rep. Mike Redondo, a Miami Republican chairing the House redistricting committee, said he didn’t want lawmakers discussing “hypotheticals,” including whether lawmakers would even consider a new map. He also said lawmakers can undertake whatever process they choose, including still deciding whether to undertake field meetings around Florida.

“As a body, we’re going to make those decisions in terms of how input will be received.”

But at the meeting on Wednesday, the committee took no public comment, including from South Florida members of the public who bussed to the hearing.

Boca Raton Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas’ campaign to remove “Deputy” from her title just got a boost from the city’s police union.

The Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 35, is endorsing Nachlas due to her “consistent support for public safety, dedication to community partnership, and commitment to responsible leadership.”

Boca Raton will “continue to thrive as a safe, vibrant, and forward-moving community” under Nachlas’ mayoralty, the group added in its statement announcing the support.

“Fran has been a dedicated supporter of law enforcement and a strong advocate for our community,” the organization said in a separate Instagram post.

“Your steadfast commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens, along with your keen understanding of the unique challenges faced by our officers, exemplify exceptional leadership and dedication. We have complete confidence in your ability to lead with integrity, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the community.”

Nachlas said in a statement that she is “profoundly honored” by the nod.

“Our officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our community safe, and their trust means the world to me,” she said. “As Mayor, I will continue to prioritize public safety, strengthen community partnerships, and ensure our police have the resources and support they need.”

Nachlas was named Boca’s Deputy Mayor in March. She is a past Chair of the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency and member of the Boca Raton Community Advisory Council. She now serves on the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency Governing Board, Florida League of Cities Development, Code Compliance and Redevelopment Committee in addition to her City Council duties.

She is one of three candidates competing to succeed term-limited Mayor Scott Singer, along with Boca Raton Council member Andy Thomson and Mike Liebelson, an energy executive-turned-adviser.

Nachlas and Liebelson are Republicans. Thomson is a Democrat.

Boca Raton’s municipal election is on March 10, 2026.

The Children’s Movement of Florida gathered a full room of advocates and lawmakers to recognize three legislators who helped steer early learning priorities across the finish line during the 2025 Legislative Session.

At a ceremony at the Governors Club in Tallahassee, the organization presented its Early Childhood Champion Award to Republican Sen. Alexis Calatayud, Democratic Rep. Robin Bartleman and Republican Rep. Chase Tramont. The Children’s Movement praised the lawmakers’ work expanding access to the state’s School Readiness program and strengthening support for children with special needs.

The group said the trio played central roles in improving tuition assistance and ensuring families aren’t shut out of early learning opportunities as incomes rise.

“Sen. Calatayud, Rep. Bartleman, and Rep. Tramont demonstrate the bipartisan consensus that investing in early learning is good for our state — benefiting not only children and families, but also the state’s workforce and economy,” said Madeleine K. Thakur, President and CEO of The Children’s Movement.

“Their commitment to increasing access for Florida families is an important contribution to our birth-20 education system, and enables true parent choice for the earliest years before kindergarten.”

Calatayud’s bill on the School Readiness program (SB 1102) contained changes designed to make it easier for providers to receive special needs differential funding. The new law also requires participating programs to complete 10 hours of inclusive-practices training before receiving the additional dollars, a move supporters say helps ensure children with special needs can be served effectively.

The House companion, sponsored by Bartleman and Rep. Dana Trabulsy (HB 877), cleared all committees before lawmakers opted to take up the Senate version.

Calatayud also joined Tramont in spearheading legislation tying income thresholds for the School Readiness program to a percentage of the state median income rather than the federal poverty level, among other changes. Advocates argued the shift was necessary as Florida’s minimum wage continues to climb, pushing some working families out of eligibility even as costs rise.

Their proposals were ultimately rolled into the House’s broader education package (HB 1255).

The Children’s Movement of Florida is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition formed in 2010 to make early childhood development a top state priority. The group describes itself as Florida’s “leading voice on early childhood,” working both at the grassroots level — with community engagement and volunteer initiatives — and at the state level, by shaping policy and mobilizing support for early-childhood investment statewide.

The organization said this year’s progress highlights how sustained attention from lawmakers can reshape outcomes for children during their most formative years. The organization pledged to continue working with legislators and state agencies heading into 2026 to protect and expand access to early learning support across Florida.