Politics don't always add up

An editorial written by Times Union investigates the matter of Senate Republicans' wanting to add a 63rd Senate seat, despite the fact that New York is losing two seats in Congress. Senator Gianaris and Senate Deomcrats are opposed to the addition of a 63rd seat on the grounds that the Senate Republican ploy is unconstitutional.

New York is losing two seats in Congress, so how in the world can it add another state senator?

Under the current and much-maligned redistricting process, the Republicans who control the state's upper chamber hold the pens in the once-a-decade exercise that draws district lines. Late Friday, they released an analysis explaining why they will draw 63 Senate districts, adding a member to the chamber.

It drew immediate condemnation from Senate Democrats — who have been quick to condemn most everything the Senate Republicans did — but prompts larger questions about the way political power is allocated in New York.

[...]

"The constitution of the state of New York is not a toy to be played with at the Republicans' whim when it suits their purposes and to be thrown in the garbage when it doesn't," said Sen. Mike Gianaris, D-Queens. Democrats said they're confident this will come up in legal challenges to the maps.

Read the full article here.