New York legislature rejects House maps from redistricting panel

The New York House and Senate on Monday rejected a proposed slate of House maps from the state's Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC), further complicating a now years-long dispute on the state's district lines.

The IRC voted 9-1 in February to approve a slate that made only minor alterations to the current maps. The commission in 2022 could not agree on a proposal and instead submitted dueling plans to the legislature, which rejected both of them. New York lawmakers then drew their own lines, which a judge struck down. A court-ordered set were in effect for the 2022 midterms, though the New York Court of Appeals last year ordered the IRC to redraw the maps again.

The Monday votes saw the state House vote 99-47 to reject the slate while the Senate did so 40-17, The Hill reported. Lawmakers are expected to now draw their own map slate ahead of the April 4 deadline. Republicans largely supported the IRC's latest proposal and New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox denounced the votes.

"Democrats have sought to undermine the redistricting amendment over the last three years. They should have been embarrassed when they were caught red-handed in their unconstitutional gerrymander in 2022. But Albany Democrats are incapable of shame. They again seek to rig elections in back rooms rather than compete at the ballot box," he said. "This is a predictable result of a legislature drunk with power that ignores the will of the people."

Republicans maintain a slim majority in the U.S. House and control of the lower chamber could rest on a handful of seats. The GOP managed to pick up several seats in the 2022 midterms under New York's court-ordered maps and a slate drawn by the Democratic-dominated legislature could prove decisive in shaping the contest.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.