I hope you are enjoying your summer. Like many of you, I paid close attention to June’s primary election –the first of two primaries we’ll vote in this summer. While I was pleased to see Citizens Union-preferred candidates – including Governor Kathy Hochul – win their primaries, I was disappointed by the low voter turnout numbers.
The chaotic State redistricting process, which led to two separate primary elections only two months apart, undoubtedly contributed to the low numbers at the polls on June 28th and may do so again on August 23rd. But we also must do more to make voting easier, and more convenient for New Yorkers. The Board of Elections must be reformed including making it a more voter-centric agency, permanent mail-in voting, borough-wide early voting centers, and advocating for same-day voter registration.
With another primary coming up in August, we’ll be busy evaluating candidates for State Senate. If you need to request an absentee ballot, you must do so before August 8. To learn more, click here.
We are also analyzing the City Council redistricting maps that were recently released by the NYC Districting Commission. You can read more about this in this edition of The Reformer.
Best,
Betsy Gotbaum
2022 GOTHAM GREATS CELEBRATION
On Tuesday, October 18th, Citizens Union will hold our annual Gotham Greats Celebration at The Metropolitan Club. We are excited to come together with our valued supporters to celebrate our 125th year and the accomplishments of our esteemed honorees:
- Doug and Wendy Eisenberg – Founders of A&E Real Estate Holdings.
- Loretta Lynch – Former U.S. Attorney General, Partner in the Litigation Department at Paul Weiss.
- Tali Farhadian Weinstein – Attorney and Professor, former federal and state prosecutor.
Click here to sponsor the event, purchase tickets, or make a donation.
Congratulations to our honorees!
POLICY UPDATES
First Draft of Council Redistricting Maps Released
After much anticipation, the NYC Districting Commission released the first draft maps of the proposed City Council district lines. The new plan proposes substantial changes, including the creation of a new Asian-majority district in Brooklyn and a “crossover” district that connects western Queens with Roosevelt Island and parts of the Upper East Side. It also keeps three whole districts in Staten Island, despite citywide population shifts.
You can compare the current and proposed lines using CUNY’s Redistricting & You.
New Yorkers have 30 days to look through these draft maps before the Commission holds public hearings to collect feedback. Those hearings, which will be held from August 15 to 22, will be critical in determining the final City Council district lines. Whether you are unhappy with the maps or pleased with the new lines in your neighborhood, we encourage you to testify. Our community training program, which has already trained over 500 New Yorkers to participate in the local redistricting process, is now more important than ever before.
New Ethics Commission Announced
In April, the State Legislature established a new ethics oversight and enforcement body to replace the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE). Members to the new 11-member Commission on Ethics on Lobbying in Government are appointed by statewide elected officials and legislative leaders, and a committee composed of law school deans from all of New York’s law schools reviews the nominees to determine if they are qualified to serve as ethics commissioners.
Citizens Union welcomed the review procedures developed by the law school deans, which include measures to increase the transparency and independence of the vetting process. In recent weeks, the appointing authorities have put forward nearly all of their proposed nominees. There is a public comment period before the law deans’ vetting process begins. You can see the appointees and learn how to submit your comments here.
GOTHAM GAZETTE
Are you thankful for Gotham Gazette? We are thankful for all of our readers and supporters as we continue to cover New York government and politics like no other publication. Please support our work with a donation today.
Zeldin Rejected from Independence Party Ballot Line After Submitting Faulty Signatures
by Ethan Geringer-Sameth
City Council Redistricting Process Heads to New Round of Public Input After Draft Map Release
by Ethan Geringer-Sameth
New York Progressive Movement Struggles in Primaries, Points to Reasons for Optimism
by Samar Khurshid
What’s Next at CUNY After Three Tumultuous Pandemic School Years
by Rachel Cohen
CU IN THE NEWS
New York Daily News
Office of NYC comptroller Brad Lander approves more than $500M in contracts to non-profits with ties to wife’s group
July 5, 2022
Gothamist
NYC turnout in June’s primary was weak — August will likely be weaker
July 13, 2022
Politico
Proposed Council redistricting would create Asian-majority seat, potential rivalry
July 14, 2022
Amsterdam News
City Council Districting Commission releases draft maps; rumbles in Harlem, SI, and Brooklyn
July 21, 2022
CU FLASHBACK
Did you know that in our earliest days, Citizens Union was a political party? To stave off patronage-seekers, we stopped making nominations and conducting campaigns for elected office in 1908.
