Originally Published: March 3, 2011
Over half the chamber is now supporting Gov Cuomo’s redistricting bill, introduced by Silver
Duo calls on Senate Majority Leader Skelos to honor pledge to enact redistricting reform in time for 2012 election
NEW YORK, NY – Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and Citizens Union Executive Director Dick Dadey, fresh from a trip to the State Capitol in Albany on Tuesday, are heralding today’s news that at least 80 members of the Assembly – Democrats and Republicans – are committed to supporting Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s redistricting reform bill, introduced by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver just two weeks ago. That’s a clear, bipartisan majority of the chamber’s 150 members, with more expected to join.
Following through on a commitment he made to his members and to Mayor Koch, Silver opened the bill (A5388) to any member of the Assembly wishing to add his or her name as a co-sponsor. As of late yesterday, 71 members were listed as sponsors, according to the online legislative tracking system. At least nine additional members earlier informed New York Uprising and/or Citizens Union that they had submitted the necessary paperwork to become a sponsor, or that they intended to do so once the bill was opened up.
“This is truly enormous,” Mayor Koch said. “The New York State Assembly – the People’s House – stands ready to pass the most crucial reform necessary for restoring function and credibility to our state’s government. I give enormous credit to Speaker Sheldon Silver, whose ability I have long known and always had faith in. Praise also goes to every Assembly Member – Democrat and Republican – who took this issue on, in particular Hakeem Jeffries, and Mike Gianaris when he was in that chamber.”
“Today’s milestone is unprecedented and unexpected,” Dadey added. “We have achieved for the first time a level of bipartisan majority support in the state assembly to enact real meaningful redistricting reform. Asssemblymembers are honoring the campaign commitments they made to NY Uprising, Citizens Union, and to their constituents. The leadership and support provided by Governor Cuomo, Speaker Silver and Assembly Member Jeffries in introducing a bill modeled on one first introduced by then Assembly Member Gianaris has made it possible for all of us to see the coming end of rigged partisan gerrymandering.”
“The next step is for the Assembly to vote on the legislation, and I urge them to do so swiftly,” Mayor Koch said.
Koch had earlier set a March 1 deadline for legislators who signed the New York Uprising reform pledges to add their name to the bill as a co-sponsor. On Tuesday, he visited the State Capitol, joined by Dick Dadey of Citizens Union, to meet with leaders and stand with more than 55 legislators who supported the bill.
“Our attention now turns to the Senate, where the group I once called ‘the party of reform’ controls the Chamber,” Mayor Koch said. “54 Senators, including every single Republican, signed the New York Uprising pledges committing to support a non-partisan, independent redistricting commission. Now is their chance to show the public that they meant what they said, that they put progress over partisanship, that they understand the extent to which New Yorkers have lost faith in their government – and to pass the Governor’s bill. I urge Dean Skelos, the Majority Leader of the Senate, to stand tall and do in his chamber what the Speaker has done in his.”
“Working with a rising tsunami of growing support among Democratic and Republican state legislators, New York Uprising and Citizens Union have helped change the discussion of redistricting reform from ‘if’ to ‘yes’,” Dadey said. “Attention has now turned to the State Senate and Majority Leader Dean Skelos to also honor the collective commitment his conference made to the voters of New York to enact legislative redistricting reform for the 2012 elections. Individually, many Senators are clamoring to honor their pledge, but are being prevented from doing so. It is time for the majority of Senators – both Republicans and Democrats – to be allowed to act on their promise, and support and vote on the Governor’s bill.”
What follows is an Op-Ed written by Mayor Koch which is running in today’s New York Daily News, addressing arguments from Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos regarding the constitutionality of independent redistricting.