POST IN TALLAHASSEE

Florida Legislature to meet in 12-day special session.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida House and Senate leaders Monday called a day special session beginning Aug. 10 to redraw congressional boundaries thrown out this month by the state Supreme Court.

House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, and Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, said in a memo to legislators that they have ordered House and Senate redistricting staffff to prepare a “base map” that complies with the recent ruling by justices.

In a 5-2 decision, the court found eight districts, including those held by U.S. Reps. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, and Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, to be unconstitutional.

But because the population of each district must be close to the same, redrawing the affffffffffffected districts could change as many as 20 of the state’s 27 congressional boundaries.

“We believe that presenting a base map that follows the Supreme Court order to you and the public will make it easier to discuss all legislative actions in an open and transparent manner,” Crisafulli and Gardiner said in their memo.

They also pointed out that while staffffffffffffers will put a map in play, that plan still will be subject to change.

“After the base map is introduced, every mem- ber will have a full opportunity to review, discuss, debate and offffffffffffer amendments to the base map,” the leaders wrote.

It will be the Legislature’s second attempt at drawing congressional districts.

A trial court last year found that Republican consultants inflfluenced the drawing of congressional boundaries in 2012, violating voter-approved constitutional amendments that bar district