Justice Department rejects Florida House redistricting plan.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ The U.S. Justice Department on Monday rejected a redistricting plan for the Florida House of Representatives, saying it violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act by eliminating a Hispanic majority district in South Florida.

The ruling could force lawmakers into special session, possibly as early as next week, in order to avoid a delay in filing by legislative candidates. Candidate qualifying is scheduled to begin in just three weeks, with the primary election in September.

Although the ruling was based on a single district that sprawls across parts of Broward and Collier counties, reshaping it will affect others _ and no one was willing to speculate how many others.

"The plan will have to be fixed to be enforceable," said Paul Hancock, a Florida assistant attorney general who has worked on the case for the state. "It's a pretty narrow objection, but what ripple effect it will have on other South Florida districts is unknown."

State leaders were told of the decision late Monday and were not immediately sure how they will redraw the 120-district House map. Options include a special session, an appeal for Justice officials to reconsider, intervention by a federal court, or a negotiated compromise between legislative leaders and Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth.

Butterworth, a Democrat, had sought a federal court order rejecting the maps, drawing accusations from Republicans that he was trying to delay the fall elections.

"We will seek to work with the Justice Department to resolve this final issue expeditiously," said House Speaker Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo. "We are encouraged that the Justice Department has found 119 districts to be compliant with the Voting Rights Act."