Florida Senate panel: All state senators to run in 2016

Author: the associated press
Published:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A Florida Senate panel is endorsing a new proposal that will require voters in 2016 to pick senators for all forty of the state’s current Senate districts.

The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature returned to the Capitol this week to draw new Senate districts. But senators were divided over whether a new map would require all senators to seek a new term. Some Senate Republican leaders initially asserted that even with new districts some senators wouldn’t need to be on the 2016 ballot.

But the Senate Reapportionment Committee voted Friday for a new Senate map that randomly assigned new district numbers. That change will wind up opening all 40 Senate seats to voters next year.

The new map heads to the full Senate next week.

The special session is scheduled to run until Nov. 6.

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