New York State’s high court has ruled that congressional districts in New York, reconfigured for the 2022 elections, can be redrawn again for the 2024 elections.
The court ruled in a 4 to 3 decision that the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission must be given another chance to redraw the state’s congressional districts for the 2024 elections.
In the opinion recently appointed Chief Judge Rowan Wilson writes that “indisputably, the Constitution requires” the commission to “deliver a second set of maps.”
Wilson writes: “The People of New York are entitled to the process set out in the Constitution, for which they voted.” The redistricting process in New York was revised in a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2014.
The ruling is expected to have an impact on the fight for control of the US House of Representatives.
In 2022 , the Independent Redistricting Commission, tasked with drawing the new lines to respond to the 2020 census data, gridlocked . New districts were drawn by democrats who controlled the state Senate and Assembly. Those lines were determined by the high court to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered, and a special master was appointed to redraw the congressional districts. The Court of Appeals in 2022 also found that the legislature should have given the independent redistricting commission a second chance to redraw the maps, as required under the state’s constitution, but they didn’t.
In the elections that November, four democratic House seats flipped to Republicans, and contributed to the democrats’ loss of party control of the house. Critics blamed the democrats in the state legislature who drew the maps for overreaching.
The Independent Redistricting Commission will now reconvene, and has until February 28th to submit new maps. If the five democrats and five republicans on the commission once again cannot agree on a single set of maps , democrats who lead the legislature will be allowed to intervene and draw the maps themselves.
The make up of the state’s highest court has changed since the 2022 decision that threw out the democrats’ maps. Since then, former Chief Judge Janet DiFiore has resigned, and Rowan Wilson was appointed, after an earlier choice for the job by Hochul was rejected by Democrats in the senate.
In a statement, Ken Jenkins, the Chair of the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission said “We are pleased with the Court of Appeals’ decision and look forward to getting back to work with our colleagues as soon as possible to ensure that New York’s voters receive the benefit of the historic redistricting reforms they voted for in 2014.”
In a joint statement, Governor Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James, said “Today's redistricting decision will ensure all New Yorkers are fairly and equitably represented by elected officials. As the Court of Appeals reaffirmed today, district lines should be drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission. We will continue our efforts to protect voting rights for all New Yorkers.”
But not everyone is pleased with the decision, especially Republicans. House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and state GOP party chair Ed Cox say in a joint statement that the court’s decision is plainly wrong on the Constitution and the law. They accuse Democrats in Albany and Washington of politicizing the state’s highest court by appointing a chief judge to do their bidding.
Republican State Senator Joe Griffo of Rome echoed that sentiment, saying in a statement that Democrats have circumvented the will of the people and undermined the redistricting process in a way that favors them and not the public.
