Originally Published: June 25, 2010
Assembly governmental operations committee unanimously passes Gianaris bill to create an independent redistricting commission and draw fair districts
Passage follows recent approval by two committees in the State Senate as majority of Senate Democrats now support Valesky companion bill to reform redistricting as support rises and public clamors for reform
An historic milestone was achieved yesterday at the state capitol when the Assembly Governmental Operations committee – with bipartisan support – unanimously approved a bill sponsored by Assemblymember Mike Gianaris (D-Queens) to reform the process of creating legislative districts by empowering an independent commission to draw the lines, subject to final state legislative approval.
This accomplishment is but one of several recent actions by the state legislature to hasten the end of partisan gerrymandering. In May, two state senate committees passed the companion redistricting bill, which is carried by Senator David Valesky (D- Oneida). That bill now resides in the Senate Finance Committee while the Assembly bill advances to the Ways and Means Committee.
Senator Valesky’s bill also recently achieved a welcomed high point with eighteen Democratic state senators signing on as co-sponsors, a clear majority of Democrats. Three senate Republicans also support the bill for a total of twenty-one senators.
Other redistricting reform legislation supported by Citizens Union is also gaining momentum. Legislation sponsored by Senator Eric Schneiderman and Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries has passed the Assembly Correction Committee. The legislation would count prisoners in the residence prior to incarceration for the purposes of redistricting, rather than in the communities where the prisons are located and prisoners cannot vote. It too appears to be picking up support in both houses as the session nears an end.
The Gianaris/Valesky redistricting reform bill is now catching fire as public anger over state government dysfunction grows. With the public calling for reform – 59 percent in a Quinnipiac Poll released this week said they supported an independent redistricting commission and 78 percent disapproved of the way in which the legislature is doing its job – the legislature seems to be responding by taking steps toward the creation of a process where the legislators will no longer choose their voters before the voters choose them.
Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, said “Today’s achievement shows that something is astir within the legislature on redistricting reform. It appears that legislators are responding to the public’s cry to end the self-dealing conflict of interest that goes on when they draw district lines in a partisan and unfair way.”
A total of 46 members of the Assembly support the Assembly bill, including:
Assemblymember Gianaris (sponsor), and the following co- or multi-sponsors – Assemblymembers Alessi, Bing, Boyland, Brennan, Brook-Krasny, Cahill, Camara, Christensen, Clark, Cusick, DelMonte, Dinowitz, Espaillat, Fields, Galef, Gordon, Gottfried, Gunther, Hevesi, Hoyt, Hyer-Spencer, Jeffries, John, Kavanagh, Kellner, Koon, Lancman, Latimer, Lavine, Lupardo, Maisel, Mayersohn, Meng, Millman, Morelle, Paulin, Pheffer, Powell, Ramos, Reilly, Peter Rivera, Rosenthal, Schimminger, Schroeder and Stirpe.
Citizens Union commends Assemblymember Gianaris for his tenacious but quiet and effective leadership in bringing this important reform bill to this remarkable moment as an Assembly Committee never before has passed a redistricting reform measure like it did on Thursday.
“More competitive elections lead to more accountable representatives. Today’s approval moves this critical reform one step closer to reality,” stated Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Queens), who is the Assembly sponsor of the bill. “I will continue to fight for reforms to end the gridlock and make our government more responsive.”
In the Senate, those supporting the bill include:
Senator Valesky (sponsor), and the following co-sponsors – Senators Adams, Aubertine, Bonacic, Breslin, Duane, Espada, Craig Johnson, Klein, Krueger, Montgomery, Onorato, Oppenheimer, Padavan, Savino, Schneiderman, Serrano, Squadron, Stavisky, Stewart-Cousins and Young.
At a public reform meeting in Albany last month, Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson publicly pledged to bring the Valesky bill to the floor for a vote. Citizens Union urges that such a vote take place before session ends.