A Veto for the Voters

The New York Times wrote an editorial discussing the Senate Republican's proposed legislative district maps, which are so blatantly partisan that Governor Cuomo's office has called them "simply unacceptable."

This week, New York State lawmakers unveiled proposed legislative district maps, based on the 2010 census and required in time for this year’s elections. The maps, as expected, are entirely designed to protect party interests for Republicans who control the State Senate districts and Democrats who run the Assembly.

These maps are so self-serving and politically skewed that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office has said they are “simply unacceptable.” He has repeatedly vowed to veto maps that were not drawn by an independent commission — and he should keep that promise.

The legislative task force that created these maps will soon hold more public hearings and offer a final version to the Legislature for approval. Some lawmakers assume the revised maps will be less flagrantly gerrymandered. That’s a vain hope. The proper solution is to start over.

Here are a few examples of redistricting gone wrong:

¶In three new Senate districts, Republicans forced incumbent Democrats into the same district to run against each other. State Senator Michael Gianaris, a powerful Queens Democrat, found that his block was carefully excised from his present district and tucked into the neighboring district of Senator José Peralta, another Democrat.

Read the full article here.