Albany Candidates Back Nonpartisan Redistricting
(New York Times) — The four major-party candidates running or expected to run for governor of New York have pledged to support nonpartisan, independent redistricting of legislative and Congressional seats next year — a change that state lawmakers have resisted for decades.
Using data from this year’s census, the Assembly and the Senate will draft a redistricting plan that needs approval by the governor and theUnited States Department of Justice. Critics have long charged that lawmakers’ main priority is coming up with districts designed to protect their seats.
