NY Court Gives Redistricting Commission “2nd Bite of the Apple” for Legislative Map

NY Court Gives Redistricting Commission “2nd Bite of the Apple” for Legislative Map

By EditorOct 08, 2022
Citing a flawed redistricting process, the Supreme Court of the State of New York ordered the state's Independent Redistricting Commission to try again to draw new legislative districts for the state assembly. The decision comes after the commission's failure to agree on redistricting maps earlier in the year, and a long protracted legal battle that resulted in the state's highest court invalidating the congressional, senate, and assembly maps. Read the order here. While the congressional and senate maps were redrawn by a court-appointed special master for the 2022 elections, the legislative map will not be needed until 2024. The commission…
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Court: New York Will Have Congressional and Senate Maps by May 20.

Court: New York Will Have Congressional and Senate Maps by May 20.

By EditorApr 29, 2022
The litigation surrounding New York's congressional and senate maps will end by May 20, according to the Stueben County appellate court. The court's announcement comes after the state's highest court invalidated both maps on Wednesday (April 27th). Here is a recap of the litigation which began in February. The litigation surrounding these two maps began in mid-February and sped through all three levels of the state court system (trial court, appellate court, and the state's highest court) in just over 2 months. While there was some disagreement among courts regarding whether the maps enacted by the legislature were the product…
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New York Redistricting Maps Thrown Out by State Trial Court. Congressional Map Declared Partisan Gerrymander

New York Redistricting Maps Thrown Out by State Trial Court. Congressional Map Declared Partisan Gerrymander

By EditorApr 01, 2022
On Thursday, Mar. 31, a New York trial court invalidated the legislature's 2022 congressional and state legislative maps. The decision was primarily grounded in the procedural requirements of New York's state constitution, which the court said the legislature violated when it adopted maps of its own after the Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) failed to produce a second set of maps. Read the opinion. According to the court, the constitutional provision creating the IRC allowed the legislature to draw maps only after the IRC submits 2 sets of maps and the legislature rejects them. The IRC deadlocked in Jan of 2022…
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Watch: New York Redistricting Commission Deadlocks on Maps

Watch: New York Redistricting Commission Deadlocks on Maps

By EditorJan 04, 2022
The New York State Independent Redistricting Commission met on Monday, Jan 3, but could not come to a consensus on any redistricting map. The members split 5-5 on votes for congressional, state senate, and state house maps. Instead, the commission sent two versions of each to the state legislature for consideration. The meeting was contentious at times. Watch the meeting below. The legislature must adopt one of the commission's maps by a two-thirds vote, if they do not adopt a map the commission will get a second chance at recommending a set of maps by a Feb. 28, 2022 deadline.…
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New York Law School Launches Public Redistricting Mapping Project

New York Law School Launches Public Redistricting Mapping Project

By EditorOct 31, 2021
New York, NY (October 27, 2021) – New York Law School’s (NYLS) New York Census and Redistricting Institute has launched a statewide Public Mapping Redistricting Project to coincide with the 2021 state redistricting cycle. Student teams from New York’s higher education institutions have been invited to participate in drafting maps for New York’s congressional, state senate, and state assembly districts and submit them to the State. They will use free online software and data, along with specialized training, to draw model maps.  The Project, developed by NYLS Adjunct Professor and Director of the Census and Redistricting Institute Jeffrey M. Wice, kicked shortly after the release of…
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New York State Officials Sued Over Funding for Redistricting Commission

New York State Officials Sued Over Funding for Redistricting Commission

By EditorMar 09, 2021
The controversy over funding of the New York Redistricting Commission has come to a head as two individuals sue the governor and other state officials over the impasse. One plaintiff is a former candidate for the state legislature and the other, a member of the commission itself. They challenge the decision to provide funding for the commission through a third-party organization as opposed to a direct appropriation, which they claim is required by the state constitutional provision establishing the commission. This is the latest in a months-long saga for the commission that began when funds were not appropriated to the…
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December Redistricting Update

December Redistricting Update

By EditorJan 04, 2021
December was all about the apportionment numbers when it comes to redistricting news. Let's get you up-to-date. White House Memo on Excluding “Aliens” from the Official Apportionment Count The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Trump v. New York on Nov. 30 pursuant to an expedited schedule given that the U.S. Census Bureau had a Dec 31 statutory deadline to report the official state population counts to be used for apportioning U.S. House seats among the states. Just before Christmas, the court released a per curiam opinion declining to decide the issue on technical grounds. The issue being whether…
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Listen: Supreme Court Oral Argument in Trump Apportionment / Citizenship Case

By EditorDec 01, 2020
On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Trump v. New York. This case challenged an executive memo directing the Census Bureau to report official congressional apportionment data so that it excludes the count of non-citizens. For an in-depth analysis of the arguments, read SCOTUSBlog.com's report. Most expert observers say the court seemed preoccupied with the "ripeness" of the issue, or in layman's parlance - whether or not the administration has done anything yet that could possibly violate a statute or the constitution. Listen to the audio below. https://youtu.be/ePChyVCpI6A
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Supreme Court Schedules November Oral Argument in Undocumented Immigrant Apportionment Case

By EditorOct 19, 2020
On Friday, the Supreme Court announced it would expedite an appeal by the Trump administration after a lower district court halted the administration’s plan to exclude people who are in the country illegally from the official apportionment count numbers used in allocating seats in the House of Representatives. Read a synopsis below. Oral arguments are scheduled for November 30, just one month before the statutory deadline for delivering the apportionment numbers to the president.It is not clear if the Census Bureau will be able to meet the December 31 deadline for delivering apportionment numbers, nor is it clear how it…
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A Look at the New Redistricting Process in New York

A Look at the New Redistricting Process in New York

By Michelle DavisSep 15, 2020
2021 will be the first time New York conducts redistricting under a new regime. In 2014, as part of a political compromise between the legislature and governor, a constitutional amendment was proposed and eventually approved by voters that establish a redistricting advisory commission, new redistricting criteria, and other rules to increase fairness and participation in the redistricting process. Here is a summary of the process. Redistricting Commission: The amendment creates a 10-member commission, eight of whom are chosen by legislative leaders (speaker, senate president and the minority leaders in each house). Four members are chosen from the majority party and…
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