High cost of Constitution flouting

Another day, another editorial about another courtroom struggle for New York State to abide by its Constitution. The ultimate law of the state — every word approved by the citizens via referendum — the Constitution matters more than anything else the state Senate, Assembly and governor does. All of Albany’s duties, power and authority stem from its language.

Their gerrymandered lines for congressional districts and invalid maps for Senate have been thrown out by the highest court in the state, but still they fight and fight and fight to keep in place the equally invalid maps for Assembly.

Even worse, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Gov. Hochul are paying millions in tax dollars to private lawyers to wage their selfish war against the Constitution.

The Senate has hired the firm of Cuti Hecker Wang on a $3 million contract, and according to state comptroller records, $523,990 has been paid out. Considering that the Senate’s lines are dead and buried and the primaries pushed into August, one would think that the Senate is owed a full refund. The Assembly has retained Graubard Miller for $1.5 million, but only $52,209.53 has been paid. Perhaps someone’s waiting to see the end result? The Assembly also has lawyers from another firm active on the many cases, with the comptroller’s records showing $70,369.73 paid so far on an $150,000 contract with Phillips Lytle.

Added to these expenses are the cost of using government lawyers working for the state attorney general and state Board of Elections.

Thursday, as expected, a trial-level judge saw no evil in the Board of Elections certifying the June 28 primary for Assembly even after the Court of Appeals said that the maps were illegally produced. That case is heading quickly to the Albany appellate court, for what will hopefully be a very fast review, before it moves just a few blocks to the Court of Appeals. Those seven judges, led by Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, seem to be the only ones who care about the Constitution.