Issues: Elections

WCNY posted the audio of Senator Gianaris' interview with Susan Arbetter on the Capital Pressroom.

Senate Democrats smell victory in the air. Senator Michael Gianaris joins me to discuss the Dems strategy for November, the latest Siena Poll, and their priority list for the rest of the session.

Listen to the full audio here.

An article by Times Ledger discusses the new state Senate and congressional district lines, which have met criticism from lawmakers.

Astoria lawmakers said they were disappointed by the new congressional and state Senate district lines, which splits the neighborhood across two districts.

“The maps are horrible,” said Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria). “They divide communities that should not be divided, including Astoria.”

Both of the new maps slice off part of the north section of Astoria above Ditmars Boulevard.

[...]

Politicker wrote an editorial about Professor Gerry Benjamin, expert on the mechanisms of government, and the C- grade he gave to the new Redistricting Amendment.

Professor Gerry Benjamin, an expert on the mechanisms of government at State University of New York at New Paltz, was asked by Citizens’ Committee for an Effective Constitution to take a look at Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature’s much-touted redistricting amendment and grade it point-by-point against what a truly independent amendment would look like.

Unsurprisingly, he found it wanting. He gave the amendment a ‘C-’ overall on an ‘A’ through ‘F’ scale.

An editorial posted by Capital discusses the debate between Senate Republicans and Senate Democrates over the agreed-upon redistricting lines, which Senate Democrats have strongly criticized.

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a redistricting deal that his fellow Democrats in the minority of the State Senate have been criticizing as "unfair," "unconstitutional" and the "worst" in the state's history.

But what led them to walk out of the Senate chambers last night, ostensibly, was a Republican move to change the agreed-upon time allowed to debate the bill from four hours to two.

Until the walkout, the debate had been substantive, if escalatingly hostile.