Well, that’s surprising. PBS which has to be a bit more neutral than your CNN and MSNBC is going after Democrats. They are exposing Dems for gerrymandering New York Districts to be even bluer.
“JUDY WOODRUFF: “Just quickly to both of you, Amy, redistricting. We have been talking a lot about Republican — Republican legislatures and commissions drawing districts to favor them, but, in New York state, we’re now seeing a new map that heavily favors Democrats.”
AMY WALTER: “That’s right. And, Judy, this is a state that, in 2014, voters put about — approved a ballot measure that took redistricting out of the hands of politicians, put it in the hands of a bipartisan commission. In a surprise to no one, that bipartisan commission broke down, was polarized.
So it went back to the legislature, which is dominated by Democrats. Democrats gerrymandered a very favorable map for themselves, which would basically cut the Republican delegation in half from eight to four. Democrats would pick up or have seats that are more Democratic, three more seats that are heavily Democratic.
That is a substantial, substantial redistricting gerrymander there in New York. It doesn’t break the letter of the law, but it certainly calls into question the spirit of what was supposed to be government reform and taking it out of the hands of a partisan process.”
Watch The Clip Below.
The newly drawn district:
Jerrymandering https://t.co/I8RDEz1eo8
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) January 31, 2022
But State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris claims there was no gerrymandering…
“Gianaris, who has led his chamber’s redistricting efforts, asserted that his party did not engage in gerrymandering despite proposing a new congressional map that clearly benefits Democrats. In an interview with City & State, Gianaris stood by the controversial proposal that could cut the number of Republicans in the New York delegation in half.
The maps clearly disadvantage Republicans, who will likely lose four seats in the next election cycle if the proposal stands. The GOP was quick to denounce the new lines and promised to take the matter to court. But they weren’t the only ones crying foul. The left-leaning think tank Brennan Center for Justice, which focuses on voting rights, said Democrats took a heavy hand to district drawing. Michael Li, the organization’s redistricting expert, called the New York maps an “aggressive gerrymander,” and even asserted they would be struck down under the John Lewis Voting Rights Act that Democrats are championing in Congress.
Still, Gianaris defended the maps against claims that they were overly partisan, especially in some of the most unusually shaped districts. “We’re very confident this adheres to the current requirements,” Gianaris said, adding that he fully expects the issue to end up in court. “Other people make those decisions, we’ll make our case why we believe it does.”
Just look at that biased redistricting. There has clearly been gerrymandering here, and it’s ridiculous that they think this is somehow fair. I mean they drew this so biased that even PBS and left-leaning think tanks are calling foul.