Florida: DeSantis makes first state Supreme Court pick. New Governor Ron DeSantis has selected Miami Judge Barbara Lagoa as his first of three state Supreme Court appointees. The “rule of law” conservative is the first Hispanic woman in history to serve on the Florida Supreme Court. She takes over for retiring Justice Fred Lewis. Texas: GOP moves past ‘bathroom bill.’ State Republican leaders are looking past the bathroom bill issue that has grabbed headlines across the country in recent years, promising instead to focus on “real issues” such as school finance and property taxes. In 2017 a GOP backed bathroom bill was defeated following staunch opposition from the state’s business community. Virginia: Supreme Court denies request. The U.S. Supreme Court this week denied a request from a state Republican to delay the implementation of a new House of Delegates map for the 2019 elections. The ruling means that state maps will be redrawn, a result of a suit filed that alleged state lawmakers used improper racial targets during the 2011 redistricting process to draw African-American voters into majority-minority districts. The new maps are expected to lead to a more Democrat-friendly landscape in 2019 and beyond.
