The New York State Senate Chamber in Albany on May 20, 2019. New York State Senate
Syndication: Westchester
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has ordered New York’s Democrat-controlled Legislature to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative districts after finding they were unconstitutional.
Judge Patrick McAllister said in a Thursday ruling that maps redrawing the state’s congressional districts were gerrymandered to benefit Democrats. McAllister, a state trial court judge, said those districts must be redrawn, along with the legislative districts in a way that attracted at least some bipartisan support.
The judge gave lawmakers until April 11 to try again. If their new maps fail to pass muster in the courts again, then the judge said he would order the state to pay for a court-approved expert to redraw the maps.
Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James issued the following joint statement in response to the New York Supreme Court’s rejection of the state’s current redistricting plans: “We intend to appeal this decision.”
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