Judge set to hear suit on extra Senate seat

The Queens Campaigner reports on the lawsuit filed by citizens and state Senator Martin Dilan, which disputes the addition of a 63rd state Senate seat. Senator Gianaris is optimisitc that the lawsuit will succeed and that we will have one more chance at fair and transparent district lines.

Queens politicians expect a lawsuit challenging the creation of a 63rd state Senate seat to be decided next month, and state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) will then decide in which district she will run.

The suit was filed in January by a group of citizens and state Sen. Martin Dilan (D-Brooklyn), and if State Supreme Court Judge Richard Braun rules next month that creating an extra seat violates the state Constitution, then the lines might have to be redrawn.

“We hope we get a final crack at doing this right,” said state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), who has led the charge for independent redistricting in Albany. “A victory in this case would reset the entire process and give us one last change to give us a fair and transparent product.”

Read the full article here.