Draw new lines now
In appellate courtrooms tomorrow in Manhattan and Albany, two panels, each of five justices, will hear challenges that the maps now in place for all 150 Assembly districts violate the New York State Constitution and must be redrawn. The highest court in the state, the Court of Appeals, has already decreed that the maps should be void, going into the dustbin with congressional and state Senate districts, but held off pending a direct challenge.
The direct challenges are now here, one from three plaintiffs in Manhattan and the other from the League of Women Voters in Albany.
The shameless defense put forth by Gov. Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and their lackeys at the state Board of Elections isn’t that the maps are kosher (which they absolutely are not) but that it’s too late so try again in 10 years for the next redistricting.
That has been their excuse since February, when they said that speed necessitated them enacting their own lines because the Independent
Redistricting Commission had failed to submit a second round of maps. They said that there wasn’t enough time, which caused them to violate the Constitution and draw their own maps, even though they had no legal authority to do so. They were wrong then and they are wrong now.
There is time. After the Court of Appeals killed the Senate maps, the special master, Jonathan Cervas, created from scratch new maps for the Senate in 18 days. Senate candidates were then given 20 days to get signatures, instead of the normal 37 days, and the number of signatures was reduced accordingly. Previously qualified contenders were grandfathered in to run in any legitimately drawn district of their choosing. The same can be done for the Assembly.
Should the appellate benches rule this week, the Court of Appeals could decide by early next week. That would have the maps in place by the end of June with petitioning done 20 days later. All in time for an August or September primary for Assembly abiding by the Constitution.