Florida Legislature has agreed to subvert democracy. I refuse to participate | Opinion

I came to this country alone, at 17, fleeing because a Marxist terrorist organization was terrorizing not just my family, but the entire country of Colombia. So you can imagine my horror watching as the events of Jan. 6, 2021, unfolded — the violence at the U.S. Capitol, a symbol of our democracy, under siege by our own citizens. The insurrectionists believed the “Big Lie” and were even willing to hang our vice president because of it.

My heart broke.

Though they didn’t succeed — democracies don’t become autocracies overnight — rioters set a precedent in their attempt to discredit the electoral process. But it now seems it was a dress rehearsal for what’s to come.

And Florida is Exhibit A.

I’ve made the difficult decision to boycott Gov. Ron DeSantis’ upcoming special session. As a state senator who took an oath to “support, protect and defend the Constitution and government of the United States and of the State of Florida” it’s a decision I do not take lightly.

In fact, it is precisely because I took that oath that I am refusing to participate. I will not legitimize the Florida Legislature’s decision to surrender its authority as a separate and equal branch of government to the governor on redistricting by participating in this sham special session. This is an unprecedented abdication of our responsibilities as an elected body.

Floridians voted overwhelmingly for a constitutional amendment that ensures congressional maps be drawn by the state Legislature to reflect the vast diversity of our state. But DeSantis drew his own congressional map that clearly and intentionally erases representation of Black and brown Floridians. In an unprecedented move, this illegal map also violated the Constitution in how it was crafted — being drawn entirely behind closed doors with the clear and, again, unconstitutional approval of the Senate president and the speaker of the House.

All this comes after the SB90 federal court ruling that called out the DeSantis administration for policies that make it harder for Floridians to vote, especially Black residents. This process and its special session with this latest map from the governor clearly violates the Voting Rights Act as well as the U.S. and Florida constitutions. It’s outright un-American.

The Florida Senate went to great lengths this session to follow the criteria in the 2010 constitutional amendment, which says new boundaries shouldn’t favor one political party or incumbent and cannot diminish the opportunity of minorities to elect a candidate of their choice and thus draw a map that would survive court scrutiny, unlike the Senate’s map a decade ago. As such, I voted for the map drawn by the Senate.

Republican Sen. Ray Rodrigues, who chaired the Senate’s Redistricting Committee this year even said: “I was sworn into office on an oath to follow and protect the Constitution, whether I like it or not, I have a responsibility to be in compliance with our Constitution.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Which is why it is unacceptable that the Legislature is not able to fulfill their constitutional duties as elected officials without political interference from DeSantis — a man who disrespects our democracy and the promise of America we all hold so dear. Instead of addressing the critical issues that Floridians are facing such as skyrocketing home insurance, the housing affordability crisis and affordable healthcare, the people of this state only see a Governor abusing his power to disenfranchise Black and brown voters. All aided by Legislative leaders who are happy to go along.

This is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes — delegitimizing institutions to the point where people don’t trust them and swear allegiance to a person, rather than the Constitution. I will continue to stand with fellow colleagues who are committed to fighting these illegal maps. I encourage all fellow residents to join us and stand up for their rights and the right of every Floridian to be represented fairly.

Together, we can overcome these blatant attacks on our democracy, on fair representation and on the rule of law. As with Jan. 6, let’s confront the urgency of this moment to protect elections from subversion and sabotage.

State Sen. Annette Taddeo represents Senate District 40 in Miami-Dade County. Taddeo, a Democrat, is a candidate for governor.