"Impermissibly partisan": that's the description that a judge used to describe state Democrats' efforts to draw new Congressional and State Senate districts. The judge from New York's highest court ruled last week that Democrats have violated the State Constitution when they attempted to draw new district lines, carving out way too much political advantage for themselves in the process. As a result, the judge ordered that a court-appointed outside expert will now draft new district lines for this year's midterm elections.
It had a been a tricky spot for New York Democrats, who watched Republicans in other states exert their own dominance in redrawing district lines to favor Republican candidates. But in a 32-page ruling, the court criticized Democrats for ignoring an amendment adopted by New York voters in 2014 to curb political influence in this process. The judge is saying that Democrats basically did the opposite, and even though Republicans are playing the same game in more than a dozen other states, that's not how it's supposed to work in New York.
Our guests discuss it:
- Michael Li, senior counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program
- Cam Macdonald, adjunct fellow with the Empire Center, and executive director with the Government Justice Center
- Rachel Barnhart, Monroe County Legislator
