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State Redistricting Under Way
 This month, the Independent Redistricting Commission released its draft redistricting plan. We are disappointed commissioners could not reach an agreement and instead chose to publish two partisan sets of maps. There should not be a Democratic and Republican way for redistricting, only districts that fairly represent communities and abide by legal standards. The appearance of disagreements within the commission could also encourage lawmakers to take back control over redistricting and draw maps that favor incumbents.
We have written to the commission to express our disappointment with a lack of transparency shown by the commission. Not only did all mapping negotiations take place in private, the maps were released in a format that was completely inaccessible to the average voter. You can read our letter to the commission here.
Next month there will be a series of public hearings throughout the state where the commission will listen to feedback from the public on their plan. We encourage you to find the hearing closest to you, and let the commission know how important it is that New York State have a transparent, fair and impartial redistricting process.
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Recent missteps from the Board of Elections have once again illustrated the need to replace the highly partisan agency with a professional team of election administrators. New Yorkers deserve an agency that is accountable to voters, not party bosses. 
At the annual Citizens Union Members Meeting on September 22, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer discussed the federal Covid-19 relief money coming to the City and how it is being spent and monitored. The discussion was moderated by Board Member, Tony Mattia. Members asked the Comptroller questions about how the pandemic impacted the City’s tax revenue, and how the Comptroller can reduce the need for the City to pay out settlements for police misconduct. It was a thought provoking talk, with CU Members getting the inside scoop on an important initiative to help New York City heal from the (ongoing) pandemic. If you would like to participate in real-time in such meetings in the future, consider joining Citizens Union 