On April 26, the New York State Court of Appeals will hear arguments challenging the constitutionality of the recent redrawing of the Congressional districts across the state. New York republicans have argued that the lines were gerrymandered, or drawn to benefit democrats.
A case was filed in NY State Supreme Court last month, Harkenrider v. Hochul, which made that legal argument, and the case has now proceeded to New York’s highest court. The Chief Justice of the NYS Court of Appeals is Westchester resident and former Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore.
DiFiore may be best suited to help decide the case because at times her party registration has been both republican and democrat.
Democrats argue that the congressional lines have been drawn legally. New York Democrats hold a 2-1 advantage over republicans in party enrollment and both the state senate and assembly have large democratic majorities.
After a plan by an independent redistricting commission was rejected, democrats moved forward with their own plan to redraw the lines not only for congress, but for assembly and state senate seats as well. The courts have found that the new senate and assembly seats are legal.
In 2014, New Yokers approved a constitutional amendment that created the independent redistricting commission. So far, that commission has been unable to sway both parties to come to an agreement on the new district lines for elected office.
So far, the courts have ruled that the congressional maps drawn by democrats are unconstitutional, resulting in appeals by democrats now up to the highest court in the state.
