Florida gains two U.S. House seats in Census
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/florida-gains-two-us-house-seats-in-census/1141209By Alex Leary, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Dec 21, 2010 11:30 AM
WASHINGTON — Florida gained two seats in the U.S. House following a new Census count released Tuesday morning.
A steady population growth boosts the state to 27 members of Congress, increasing power and access to more federal funding. Republicans currently hold 19 of the 25 seats.
The gains come as part of the every 10 year "resident population" count by the U.S. Census Bureau. In the last count, Florida gained two seats. As in the past, Northern states like New York and Ohio lost seats, continuing a shift of power to the South.
The Republican-led state Legislature will decide where to put the seats and there is early talk of Central Florida getting the attention due to its fast growth in the past decade. Florida voters in November passed constitutional amendments requiring the drawing of compact districts, not the jig-saw boundaries of past that were designed to benefit one party. Republicans opposed the amendments.
The delivery of the national head count to President Barack Obama is mandated by the Constitution to fairly apportion the 435 seats in the U.S. House.
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Copyright 2010 St. Petersburg Times
(Fla will become more republican via the inadequet audit system for counting their vote, along with more narrow recount provisions from 1% to 1/2%)