Elected Officials Urge Voters to Reject Fatally Flawed Proposal 1

Voters Should Reject this Step Backwards Say Albany Organizations and Electeds

ALBANY, NY (10/30/2014)(readMedia)-- In a strong showing of opposition, Albany County Legislator Doug Bullock, Albany City Councilman Judd Krasher, New Paltz Town Supervisor Susan Zimet, Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner, and other elected officials spoke out against Proposal 1, a redistricting amendment to the New York State constitution before the voters on November 4, today at the state Capitol.

Joined by representatives from statewide labor and community organizations, including Citizen Action of New York, the New York State Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), MoveOn.org, the Solidarity Committee of the Capital District, and the Albany Central Federation of Labor, speakers urged voters to reject the flawed redistricting proposal come Election Day, upholding the need for "fair and impartial redistricting," and noting that this ballot proposal is "neither independent nor impartial."

Opponents of Proposal 1 argue the amendment – if passed – would lock a flawed redistricting plan into the New York State constitution for decades to come. Prop 1 would result in the continued under-representation of certain communities across the State. Rather than setting up a fair and independent redistricting process that is responsive to voters' concerns, the amendment would perpetuate an already broken system.

"New Yorkers deserve nothing less than true, honest to goodness reform when it comes to redistricting," said Albany City Council Member Judd Krasher. "Such reform includes removing party politics from the process. That's why I cannot support Prop 1. New Yorkers have had enough gimmicks and this is just another one of those. I urge my neighbors in the City of Albany and friends throughout New York to say yes to real reform by voting NO on Proposal 1."

"New York's electoral system is rigged," said NYCLU Legislative Director Robert Perry. "Every ten years New York's legislative leaders cut a deal to create new election districts that consolidate their power. In 2012 the governor and legislators said we'll game the system this one last time, and then we'll pass a Constitutional Amendment that makes the redistricting process 'independent.' But Proposal One is a sham. It mandates that politicians can rig the electoral map at will. Voters should not fall for it."

"The redistricting process in New York is a travesty," said Mark Emanatian, Capital District Organizer of Citizen Action of New York. "It keeps legislative leaders in control of drawing their own party members' electoral districts and Proposal 1 does nothing to change that. New Yorkers fought for fair, independent redistricting and we shouldn't accept anything less."

If passed, Proposal 1 would create a 10-member Redistricting Commission which a state court judge last month ruled cannot be described as "independent," because the commissioners would be appointed by legislative party leaders, and such a description would mislead voters. In place of actual reform, the amendment would add further confusion to an already murky constitutional provision, inviting yet more lengthy and costly redistricting litigation.

New Paltz Town Supervisor Susan Zimet agreed that the proposed reform does not meet the needs of New Yorkers. "While we appreciate the attempt to get some type of reform passed and put into place, flawed reform is just not good enough, especially when it is being embedded into the State Constitution," stated Zimet. "We as New Yorkers have to stop settling."

"Redrawn district lines should be dependent on population not politics. Proposal 1 will protect incumbents, furthering the culture of corruption in Albany and making it more difficult for new voices to be heard. Putting an untested, unfair system permanently into the state constitution is wrong for New York and the voters," City of Gloversville Fifth Ward Supervisor Gregory Young said.

"The Albany Central Federation of Labor and the Troy Area Labor Council have joined the campaign to Vote No on Proposal One because it encodes partisan redistricting into the constitution of this state, allowing political districts to be created and overseen by the Legislature. Gerrymandering will continue and political districts will continue to be drawn with political motives as the Legislature still controls this process," said Doug Bullock, Albany County Legislator, First Vice-President of the Albany Central Federation of Labor and member of the Troy Area Labor Council. "The courts have ruled that the word independent does not belong to this Redistricting Commission on the ballot November 4th. JUST SAY NO -- Prop One Must Go."

"Proposition 1 is a bogus reform," Susan DuBois, treasurer of the Solidarity Committee of the Capital District warned. "It would enshrine a partisan redistricting process in the state constitution where it would be even harder to change than the existing process."

Elsewhere in New York State, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner voiced his opposition to Proposal 1. "I believe that we need real redistricting reform so incumbent lawmakers can't influence the redistricting process. We need a non-partisan commission that will be divorced from politics and will do what's right for the people," Feiner noted.

The No to Fake Redistricting Reform Committee was established as a campaign committee in 2014 to advocate against Prop 1, a state amendment to the NYS constitution. The committee has been endorsed by most editorial boards across the state, several community, labor and advocacy groups, as well as elected officials at all levels of government. This proposal will take away voters' rights to pick their legislators and continue to divide up the state for the benefit of Albany politicians instead of drawing maps to fairly represent the rights of the voters.