Common Cause/NY to Monroe Leg: Reject Proposed Maps

NEW YORK, NY (10/20/2022) (readMedia)-- Tomorrow, the Monroe County Legislature will vote on a new, redistricted map. In response, Common Cause/NY sent a letter to the Monroe County Legislature urging them to reject the proposed maps, restart the redistricting process and work with an independent redistricting expert. Susan Lerner, executive Director of Common Cause/NY writes in the letter:

"Accordingly, we urge the County Legislature to reject the proposed map. Adopting the proposed map, which Dr. Handley's analysis reduces the number of county legislative districts in which minority voters have an equal opportunity to elect a representative of their choosing. The proposed map appears to pack Black voters into 5 districts in order to eliminate a sixth district which provides minority voters with an opportunity to elect a representative. To adopt the proposed map may subject the county to claims that it has violated not only the federal Voting Rights Act but also section 34 of the municipal home rule law, which now requires that county district lines cannot be drawn with the result of denying equal opportunity of racial or language minority groups to participate in the political process."

Full letter is attached.

Background

In the 2010 redistricting cycle, Common Cause New York released the only set of non-partisan redistricting maps for both the state legislature and Congress, which were widely hailed as fair and viable alternatives to the Legislature's official proposals. The proposed congressional map significantly influenced the final map drawn by Special Master Nate Persily, which was adopted by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

During the passage of the most recent redistricting constitutional amendments, Common Cause/NY regularly weighed in on the underlying policy, including on the specific criteria that should guide the map making process. Common Cause/NY submitted detailed comments to the Redistricting Commission regarding their proposed maps.