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  • LWV Redistricting March2012

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    The proposed constitutional amendment would replace the current redistricting process controlled by the legislative majority with an independent redistricting commission. The 10-member commission would be appointed evenly from legislative leaders, and include non-affiliated members for the first time. District maps would require supermajority approval and consider communities of interest, competitiveness, and minority voting rights. It establishes transparency and public input requirements lacking in the current process.

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    FAQ for LWV & Citizens Union proposal for reforming legislative re-districting in NY State.

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    The proposed constitutional amendment would replace the current redistricting process controlled by the legislative majority with an independent redistricting commission. The 10-member commission would be appointed evenly from legislative leaders, and include non-affiliated members for the first time. District maps would require supermajority approval and consider communities of interest, competitiveness, and minority voting rights. It establishes transparency and public input requirements lacking in the current process.

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    25 vues5 pages

    LWV Redistricting March2012

    Transféré par

    ryebrook
    The proposed constitutional amendment would replace the current redistricting process controlled by the legislative majority with an independent redistricting commission. The 10-member commission would be appointed evenly from legislative leaders, and include non-affiliated members for the first time. District maps would require supermajority approval and consider communities of interest, competitiveness, and minority voting rights. It establishes transparency and public input requirements lacking in the current process.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Téléchargez comme PDF, TXT ou lisez en ligne sur Scribd
    Signaler comme contenu inapproprié
    sur 5

    CitizensUnionandtheLeagueofWomenVotersofNewYorkState

    FrequentlyAskedQuestions(FAQ) ontheProposedConstitutionalAmendmenttoReformRedistricting
    1. Whatdoestheproposedconstitutionalamendmentaccomplish? Insummary,itwouldreplacethecurrentLegislativeTaskForceforDemographicResearchand Reapportionment(LATFOR)redistrictingprocesswithanindependentcommissionwhose appointeesareevenlydividedbetweenmajorityandminorityparties.Forthefirsttimeever, unaffiliatedorthirdpartymemberswouldbeincludedintheredistrictingprocess.Therewill betwocoexecutivedirectorsselectedbyamajorityvoteofthecommissionwiththerestof thestaffbeinghiredbythedirectors,markingthefirsttimethestaffisnothiredbythe majorities. Theamendmentalsocodifiesforthefirsttimeinthestateconstitutionadditionalimportant criteriafordrawinglines.TheprinciplesofthefederalVotingRightsAct(VRA),whichare increasinglyfacingthreatofretrogressioninthecourtsandCongress,areaddedtothestate constitution,preservingtherightsoflanguageandracialminorities.Lineswouldbeprohibited frombeingdrawntofavorordisfavorincumbents,politicalpartiesorcandidates.Communities ofinterestarerecognizedforthefirsttimeasacriterionfordrawinglines. Thevotingproceduresandthresholdsforpassageofaredistrictingplanbytheindependent commissionandthelegislaturevariesdependingonwhichpartiescontroleachhouseofthe legislature.Supermajorityvotesareestablishedtopreventdominancebyonepoliticalpartyor majoritypartiesinboththecommissionandthelegislatureforapprovalofdistrictlines. Theproposedamendmentbreaksnewgroundintransparencybyrequiringsoftware,dataand mapstobeprovidedtothepublic,allowingforindependentanalysisandthecreationofmaps bythepublic. Italsoestablishesfirmdeadlinesforthedifferentstagesoftheredistrictingprocesstoensure thatlinesareestablishedinatimelymanneranddelaysindrawingmapsdonotdisadvantage challengersrunningagainststatelegislativeorcongressionalincumbents. Theseimportantchangeswouldbemadepermanentthroughthepassageofaconstitutional amendment.Theproposedamendmentwillbeaccompaniedbyastatutewhichwillprovide insuranceagainsttheamendmentnotachievingsecondpassageandplaceanadditional constraintonthelegislaturesabilitytoamendthelinesproposedbythecommission.

    CitizensUnionandtheLeagueofWomenVotersofNewYorkState FrequentlyAskedQuestionsRegardingRedistrictingConstitutionalAmendment

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    1. Howisthetenmemberindependentcommission(theCommission)appointed? Eachofthefourlegislativeleadersappointstwomembers,andtwoadditionalmembersare appointedbyavoteofnotlessthanfiveoftheoriginaleightmembers.Thesetwoadditional membersmustnothavebeenenrolledineitherofthetwomajorpoliticalpartiesinthe precedingfiveyears.Forthefirsttime,theredistrictingprocessincludesequalrepresentation amongthefourlegislativeleadersandappointeesnotoftheRepublicanandDemocratic parties. CurrentProcess: LATFORiscomprisedofsixmembers,withtwoeachfromthemajoritypartiesineach housewithonlyoneeachfromtheminorityparty,effectivelygivingthemajorityparties fullcontroloftheprocess,ignoringtheviewsoftheminorityparties. 2. Whocanserve? RulesprohibitthosewithconflictsofinterestfromservingontheCommissionincludingno personwhohasservedinthelastthreeyearsasaNewYorklegislator,statewideelected official,memberofcongress,andspousesoftheprecedinggroups,legislatorsstaff,lobbyists, stateofficers,stateemployees,orpartychairs.Totheextentpracticable,theappointments shouldreflectthediversityofthestateandresultfromconsultationwithoutsidegroups. CurrentProcess: FourofthesixmembersofLATFORarelegislators. 3. HowdoestheCommissionapprovearedistrictingplan?Willanevennumbered Commissioncreategridlock? AsupermajorityvotesevenoutoftenvotesbytheCommissionisrequiredtosenda redistrictingplantothelegislature,whichcanbepassedbymajorityvoteofthelegislature, encouragingcollaborationandcooperation.Ifcontrolofthelegislatureissplitbetweenthe twomajorparties,theplanmusthaveatleastonevotefromeachofthetwomajorparty appointees.Ifthelegislatureiscontrolledbyoneparty,thosesevenvotesmustincludeatleast onevotefromtheappointmentsofeachofthefourlegislativeleaderstoensurethatthereis nomajorpartydominance.Ifnoplangetssevenvotes,theplanwiththehighestnumberof votesgoestothelegislature,butapprovalofsuchaplanrequiresatleast60percentapproval inthelegislature. CurrentProcess: ThemembersofLATFORappointedbythemajorityfourofthesixcontroltheprocess anddrawthelineswithlittletonoinputfromtheappointeesrepresentingtheminority parties.Thoselinesarethenprovidedtothelegislatureandpassedbythemajorityparty controllingeachhouse.

    CitizensUnionandtheLeagueofWomenVotersofNewYorkState FrequentlyAskedQuestionsRegardingRedistrictingConstitutionalAmendment

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    4. Whatadditionalvotingproceduresensureinclusionofthepartyoutofpowerincaseone partycontrolsbothchambers? Inordertoprotectagainstonepartydominanceinthedrawingoflines,ifonepartycontrols bothhousesofthelegislature,approvalofaplanrequiresa2/3affirmativevoteineachhouse. CurrentProcess: AsimplemajorityisrequiredforanydistrictplanprovidedbyLATFOR.Consequentlythe majoritypartiesineachhousecompletelycontrolredistrictingfromdrawingthelinesto passingthem.

    5. WhatcriteriamustbeconsideredbytheCommission? Inadditiontorequiringcontiguousandcompactdistricts,andnearlyasmaybeequalinsize districtstotheextentpracticable,forthefirsttimethestateconstitutionwillincludecriteria thatrequire: thatdistrictsshallnotbedrawntodiscouragecompetitionorforthepurposeoffavoringor disfavoringincumbents,particularcandidatesorpoliticalparties; considerationofcommunitiesofinterestindrawingdistrictlines; protectionsforracialandlanguageminoritygroupsinthedrawingofdistrictlines consistentwiththeVotingRightsAct,ensuringthoseprotectionsremainregardlessofwhat happensatthefederallevel;and anexplanationbytheCommissionifthelegislativedistrictsarenotequalinpopulation. CurrentProcess: LATFORmustfirstfollowfederallawwhichrequiresadherencetotheVotingRightsAct andthecreationofstatelegislativedistrictswhosepopulationsarewithin5percentofthe averagesizedistrict.Theconstitutionalsorequiresthatdistrictsbecontiguousand,asis practicable,compact,andprovidesthatcountiesandtownscannotbedividedunder certaincircumstances. Therearecurrentlynoprohibitionsinthestateconstitutionthatpreventlinesfrombeing drawntodiscouragecompetitionorforthepurposeoffavoringordisfavoring incumbents,particularcandidatesorpoliticalparties.Norarethereprovisionsthat requirecommunitiesofinteresttobeconsideredasacriterionfordrawinglines.

    CitizensUnionandtheLeagueofWomenVotersofNewYorkState FrequentlyAskedQuestionsRegardingRedistrictingConstitutionalAmendment

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    6. DoesthelegislaturegettodrawthelinesifitvotesdowntheCommissionsplan? ThelegislaturecanonlyamendthelinesiftheCommissionsplan(s)failtoachievelegislative approvalaftertwoupordownvoteswithoutamendments,butthelegislatureisrestrictedto changesthatadheretothecriteriaintheconstitutionalamendment.Anaccompanyingstatute willfurtherrestrictthelegislaturetomakingchangesthataffectnotmorethantwopercentof thepopulationofanydistrict. CurrentProcess: Therearenorestrictionsontheirabilityofthelegislaturetoamendtheplan,whichis essentiallyguaranteedpassage,asthemajoritiesofthelegislaturecontrolLATFOR. 7. Whatprocessisthereforpublicinput? Theamendmentrequires12hearingsacrossthestateensuringpublicinputinlinedrawing.It alsorequirestheprovisionofmapsanddatatothepublicinaformthatallowsforindependent analysisandthedevelopmentofalternateredistrictingplans. CurrentProcess: Therearenorequirementsforhearings,althoughLATFORhasheldthemvoluntarily. Therearenorequirementsformapsanddatatobeprovidedtothepublic,although LATFORhasprovidedmapsandsomedatabutnotdonesoinaformthatiseasily accessiblebythepublicorfacilitatesdevelopmentofalternateplans.LATFORhasnot madesoftwarefordrawingmapsavailabletothepublic. 8. Whyhastherenotmorebeenpublicinputontheconstitutionalamendment? Variousproposalshavebeenintroducedinthelegislaturethroughtheyearsandhavebeenthe subjectofinputbythepublic,includinggoodgovernmentgroupsandcivilrightsgroups. RedistrictinghasbeenthesubjectofhearingsinboththeAssemblyandSenateforthepast severalyears,andtheissuehasbeencoveredextensivelyinthemedia.Constitutional amendmentsmustbevotedontwicebytwosuccessivelyelectedlegislatures,andthenpassed attheballotbox,providingformorereviewandgivingthepublicanopportunityfor participationinthisreform. CurrentProcess: Thedegreetowhichhearingsareheldonbillsvaries.Theconstitutionalamendment, becauseitrequiresavotebyasecondlegislaturein2013,willhavemuchmoretimefor reviewthanatypicalbill.

    CitizensUnionandtheLeagueofWomenVotersofNewYorkState FrequentlyAskedQuestionsRegardingRedistrictingConstitutionalAmendment

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    9. Whatassuranceistherethattheamendmentwillbepassedagaininthenextlegislative session? CitizensUnionandtheLeague,aswellastheGovernor,haveconditionedsupportofthe constitutionalamendmentonpassageofanaccompanyingstatutethatwillputinplacea statutoryversionoftheamendmentifitdoesnotachievesecondpassage.Thisstatutewould alsocontainarestrictiononlegislativeamendmentstothelinesonthirdpassage,allowingno morethantwopercentofthepopulationofdistrictsproposedbytheCommissiontobe changed,whichwillgointoeffectregardlessofwhetherthelegislaturepassestheamendment twice. CurrentProcess: Notapplicable. 10. Ifthisconstitutionalamendmentispassed,howwouldNewYorkrankamongthe50 statesinhowitconductsredistricting? WebelievethatthiswillputNewYorkintheforefrontofredistrictingreform,particularly amongstatesthatcannotachievereformthroughpubliclyinitiatedreferenda.Moststates leaveredistrictingcompletelyinthehandsofthelegislature.EveninIowa,whichhasbeena modelforindependentredistricting,thelegislaturehasfinalapprovalofthelines. CurrentProcess: Inthemajorityofstates,thelegislatorsdirectlydrawthelines.NewYorkhasanadvisory body,LATFOR,anentitythatexistsinlawtoadvisethelegislatureonlinedrawing. Becausefourofsixofitsmembersarelegislatorsitisessentiallylegislatorsdrawingtheir ownlines.Consequently,NewYorkisnotevenclosetobeingaleaderinindependent redistricting.

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