August 11, 2011 Via Electronic Mail Redistricting Committee Florida

Partnership Council Members Chairman’s Council Member State Farm Insurance Companies Advance America AT&T Founder Southwest Airlines Hon. Edward R. Roybal (Ret.) † Univision Communications Inc. Board of Directors WalMart Stores, Inc. The Walt Disney Company Hon. Juan C. Zapata Chairman Member, Intergovernmental Policy Committee on Trade Hon. Hector Balderas Treasurer New Mexico State Auditor Ms. Ivelisse R. Estrada Secretary Univision Communications Inc. Mr. Andrew Baldonado August 11, 2011 Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Hon. José (Pepe) Estrada WalMart Stores, Inc. Via Electronic mail Hon. Anitere Flores Florida State Representative Redistricting Committee Hon. Mike Fernandez Cargill Florida House of Representatives Hon. Ron Garcia Councilmember, City of Brea, CA 400 House Office Building Hon. Stephanie Garcia Pueblo City Schools Board President 402 South Monroe Street Hon. Sylvia R. Garcia, NALEO President Former Commissioner, Harris County, TX Tallahassee, FL 32399 Hon. Uvaldo Herrera State Farm Insurance Companies Hon. Pauline Medrano Dear Members of the House Committee on Redistricting: Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem, City of Dallas, TX Hon. Lucille Roybal-Allard Member of Congress Hon. Susan Santana, Esq On behalf of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials AT&T (NALEO) Educational Fund, I am writing to share our perspectives on Florida’s Board of Advisors Hon. Karen Avilla redistricting process. First Vice-President, Hispanic Elected Local Officials, National League of Cities Hon. Kevin Carbo Chair, National Hispanic Caucus of School Board The NALEO Educational Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that Members Hon. Pedro Colón facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge citizenship to public service. Our constituency includes the more than 6,000 Hon. Rey Colón Alderman, City of Chicago, IL Hispanic elected and appointed officials nationwide. Our Board members and Hon. Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez AARP constituency include Republicans, Democrats and Independents. We are one of the Hon. Mike DeLaO Chair Elect, National Hispanic Caucus of School Board nation’s leading organizations in the area of Hispanic civic engagement, and we Members Ex-Officio Member are deeply committed to ensuring that Florida’s 2011 redistricting provides the Hon. John J. Duran Mayor Pro-Tem, City of West Hollywood, CA state’s Hispanics with a fair opportunity to choose their elected leaders. Hon. Luis Fortuño Governor, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Hon. Charles Gonzalez Member of Congress Chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus During the last decade, Florida’s population increased by 18 percent and the Hon. Ana Sol Gutierrez Maryland State Delegate Hispanic community was responsible for over half – 55 percent – of the State’s Hon. Gerri Guzman growth. This Committee will draw lines for districts of the State House of School Board Member, Montebello Unified School District, CA Representatives, the State Senate, and Congress. These lines will determine the Hon. Paul D. López Councilmember, City of Denver, CO landscape for the state’s governance for the next 10 years. As this Committee Hon. Iris Y. Martinez Illinois State Senator proceeds with this important task, we urge it to comply strictly with the federal President, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators Hon. Michele Martinez Voting Rights Act of 1965, which protects the rights of Hispanics and other Councilmember, City of Santa Ana, CA Hon. Alex Padilla underrepresented groups to elect candidates of their choice. As the state’s second California State Senator largest and fastest growing population group, Florida’s Hispanics must be able to Hon. Ana Rivas Logan School Board Member Miami-Dade County, Public Schools, FL elect leaders that will be accountable to the concerns of their communities. Hon. Justin Rodriguez Councilmember, City of San Antonio, TX Hon. Sergio Rodriguez President, Hispanic Elected Local Officials We also ask that this Committee carefully consider the significant growth of National League of Cities Hon. Ross Romero Florida’s Hispanic population in the Central Florida area. Specifically, we note Utah State Senator that the area encompassing Orange, Osceola, and Polk counties grew by 30 percent Hon. John Sapien New Mexico State Senator in the last decade, and the Hispanic community was responsible for 58 percent of Hon. Fernando Shipley Mayor, City of Globe, AZ the population increase in these areas. Hon. Fernando M. Treviño School Board President, East Chicago, IN Hon. Don Francisco Trujillo II Former Deputy Secretary of State, NM Hon. Luz Urbáez Weinberg Commissioner, City of Aventura, FL th Executive Director 1122 W. Washington Blvd., Third Floor 600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Suite 230 1314 Texas Avenue, Suite 410 110 Wall Street, 16 Floor 5950 Lakehurst Drive, Suite 169 Arturo Vargas Los Angeles, CA 90015 Washington, DC 20003 Houston, TX 77002 New York, NY 10005 Orlando, FL 32819 Tel: (213) 747-7606 Tel: (202) 546-2536 Tel: (713) 228-6400 Tel: (212) 480-1918 Tel: (321) 795-3757 † Deceased Fax: (213) 747-7664 Fax: (202) 546-4121 Fax (713) 228-0606 Fax: (212) 480-1697 02/11 House Committee on Redistricting August 11, 2011 Page 2 Therefore, we believe that this Committee should consider creating a Congressional district in the area which reflects this growth, and provides the Hispanic community a strong voice in the electoral process. This should be accomplished by creating a district with as close to 50 percent Hispanic voting age population as possible. We believe this Redistricting Committee shares our vision of a redistricting process that will strengthen Florida’s democracy by providing fair electoral opportunities for the state’s residents. We look forward to working with this Committee to achieve this important goal. Thank you for your consideration of our views. Sincerely, Arturo Vargas Executive Director Cc: Committee on Reapportionment, Florida Senate .

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