Issues: Legislature

An editorial written by The Queens Courier calls out the Senate Republicans' redistricting proposal for compromising the needs of voters and for diminishing New York politics.

Newly-drawn district lines may pit Senate Democrats against one another in a political dogfight.

Under the proposed plan, which was designed by the New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) — made up largely of Republican senators due to their current control of the chamber — Democratic Senate Campaign Committee Chair Michael Gianaris would face off with Senator Jose Peralta for the right to represent a single, heavily Hispanic district.

Capital Tonight talks about the lawsuit filed by Senate Democrats against LATFOR's redistricting lines.

Senate Democrats this morning filed a lawsuit against LATFOR’s redistricted lines, arguing that the proposed maps are “blatantly unconstitutional.”

In the suit, filed in state Supreme Court, Democrats take aim at the proposed 63rd Senate seat that’s being placed in the Capital Region area and the mathematical formula Republicans use to justify the extra seat.

And the conference blasts LATFOR writ large for lacking transparency.

 Read the full article here.

The New York Times wrote an editorial about the Senate Republicans' redistricting proposal and some of the critics of the proposal who say the maps are overly partisan and that they undermine the needs of minority communities.

A proposed redrawing of New York State’s political districts came under intense criticism on Monday, as civil rights leaders said the maps did not fairly represent blacks and Hispanics in an increasingly diverse state, and Democrats said they would file a lawsuit asking a judge to intervene.

An editorial by the New York Daily News talks about the Senate Republican's draft for new Senate and Assembly districts and how they have used redistricting to increase their power while abandoning the interests of voters.

Nothing less than the future of representative democracy in New York is on the line as the Legislature establishes new district lines based on the latest census.

By long-standing practice, lawmakers have drawn maps to protect incumbents while shutting out challengers. Democrats load up Assembly districts with Democrats; Republicans stock Senate districts with Republicans.

NY1 posted a video of Senator Gianaris' interview on Inside City Hall where he talks about the need to get fair district maps drawn.

Watch the video here.

Times Union wrote an editorial that talks about the release of the new state legislative districts, which have drawn heavy criticism from Senate Democrats and could potentially be vetoed by Governor Cuomo.

New state legislative districts were unveiled Thursday amid a fusillade of criticism — including an unprecedented veto threat by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo's verdict came in a terse statement a few hours after the lines, which must be redrawn every 10 years to conform to the new federal Census, arrived at 2 p.m.

"At first glance, these lines are simply unacceptable and would be vetoed by the governor," said spokesman Josh Vlasto. "We need a better process and product."

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