DeSantis Delays Redistricting Special Session and Adds a Vaccine Bill

Key Points:

• Florida Republicans are delaying their redistricting plans again, with Governor Ron DeSantis postponing a special session to late April for more time to propose a new congressional map.
• The special session agenda now includes legislation to protect minors from artificial intelligence and a "medical freedom" bill allowing students to opt out of certain vaccines.
• Florida and Virginia remain key battlegrounds in the national redistricting efforts, with some Republicans hoping mid-decade redistricting could yield up to five new favorable seats, while others fear potential losses amid shifting political dynamics.
• Redistricting in Florida is constrained by the 2010 Fair Districts amendments banning partisan gerrymandering, but DeSantis cites a pending Supreme Court decision on the Voting Rights Act as justification for new maps.
• The state senate is not drafting its own map and awaits the governor's proposal; meanwhile, a bill introducing a vaccine "conscience exemption" and allowing over-the-counter ivermectin sales is expected to be filed.