Members of the commission tasked with drawing new legislative boundaries for federal House seats and the state Senate and Assembly on Wednesday said they were unable to agree on one set of maps.
So Democrats and Republicans each issued their own maps and will deliberate over them before sending the final ones to the Democratic-controlled state Legislature for final approval early next year.
Democrats on the state Independent Redistricting Commission recommended the 23rd congressional district currently held by Republican Congressman Tom Reed be folded into neighboring districts.
Republicans, meanwhile, want to carve up the 19th district that runs through the Hudson Valley and into the Albany area currently held by Democratic Congressman Antonio Delgado.
New York’s redistricting process is supposed to be in the hands of a commission to remove some of the influence of members of the state Legislature, who have traditionally drawn boundaries, in effect choosing their own voters, and strengthening the power of incumbency in the process.
The creation of the commission through a state constitutional amendment was supposed to change that process, throwing it to the commission. Without an agreement in place by January 15th when the final set of maps are due, the process could eventually wind back up in the court of the state Legislature, where Democrats have supermajorities in both chambers.
Still, members of the commission hoped the next round of 14 public hearings to be held across the state in the coming weeks will provide an opportunity to reach an agreement.
State Senator George Borrello issued a statement saying, “The IRC’s admission that they were unable to reach agreement on a proposed map, and the release of two very different maps, one drawn by Democrats and the other by Republicans, is concerning. It suggests the very real possibility that the process will end up being controlled, once again, by the Legislature, where Democrats can use the behind-closed-doors gerrymandering process to strengthen their One Party Rule. They have little incentive to compromise through the framework of the IRC.
The people of New York State spoke out and said that they wanted an inclusive, transparent and bipartisan process. With the next round of hearings occurring in the weeks ahead, I encourage New Yorkers to participate and provide their input on these two proposed maps.”
The closest hearing to Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany Counties will be the one in Buffalo at 4pm, Wednesday, October 20th at the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College.
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