The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 20, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
When we last reported on New York’s Congressional redistricting drama, the state supreme court threw out a special master’s competitive map because the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission, or IRC, hadn’t completed its constitutional duties. Analysis of new maps released last week by the commission may give a slight advantage to Democrats.
After the advisory-only commission deadlocked on a compromise map in 2022, it submitted one Democratic-map and one Republican-map, with the legislature rejecting both. The Democrat-dominated legislature then gerrymandered the map for partisan advantage.
Those maps were thrown out by an appeals court in 2022, and a special master drew the more competitive maps used during the midterm election, flipping six Congressional seats Republican. Then in December 2023, the New York Supreme Court ruled that the IRC should have been given another chance to draw the maps under the state constitution.
A Politico analysis suggests that the new map bolsters two upstate incumbents, one Republican and one Democrat, while putting the 22nd District seat of freshman Republican Brandon Williams up for grabs.
Unlike the previous deadlocked IRC map, this Congressional map passed 9 to 1, on a board composed of 4 Democrats, 4 Republicans and 2 Independents. It’s now up to the Democrat-dominated state assembly and senate to approve the maps, and for Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign it. Hopefully, with no more drama.
We have the map and links to analysis at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – Plot Twist in New York’s Ongoing Redistricting Drama, as Appeals Court Throws Out Competitive Maps Drawn by a Lower Court’s Special Master
NY Independent Redistricting Commission – 2024 Congressional District Map Proposal
Spectrum News – Mixed reaction to proposed NY Congressional map
Politico – New House lines approved in New York. What would change.
Democracy Docket – New York’s Independent Redistricting Commission Releases New Congressional Map
Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause NY, NY Civil Liberties Union, New York Law School Census and Redistricting Institute, Empire Center
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