TALLAHASSEE - House Democrats tried to pass an amendment on Thursday that they said would end suspicions that a plan to revamp the state Supreme Court was a move to "pack" the court with Republicans before new voting districts are drawn.

"This says we're not going to play politics with the court," Richard Steinberg, D-Miami Beach, said as he proposed the amendment.

The measure was defeated in a 79-39 party line vote, and the original bill was advanced to a final hearing today.

The court redo, which would require a voter-approved constitutional amendment, would add three new justices to the court and split it into two divisions, one dealing with criminal cases, the other with civil