About two years ago, I felt the same way as most New Yorkers — our state government was dysfunctional, self-serving and an embarrassment. Along with a group of like-minded reformers, I decided to do something about it, forming New York Uprising, an advocacy effort to change the way legislative and congressional district lines are drawn.
Our goal, simply, was to return power to the people.
When legislators select their own districts to run in, and when the leaders of the Legislature control the process of what each district looks like, two problems occur: (1) the voters are deprived of real choices on Election Day; and (2) legislators are beholden to their leaders to protect them in the redistricting process.
For lasting change to come to Albany, redistricting reform is a must.
Since the inception of Uprising, two things have happened. First, through a relentless campaign, we were able to persuade more than 360 candidates for office, including a majority of the Assembly and Senate, from both parties, to pledge support for an independent commission to draw district lines.
Our call for reform was echoed by nearly every editorial board in the state (including, vociferously, this paper’s).
Second, thanks to Gov. Cuomo‘s hard work, much progress has been made in making Albany far more efficient, responsible and effective. However, without changing the way power is ultimately controlled in Albany — which means real redistricting reform — the problems that have historically plagued our state will continue.
Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), many of the same legislators who pledged to support independent redistricting have reneged and are now trying to continue the same practice of gerrymandering — meaning business as usual.
On Wednesday, we learned political considerations are keeping the Senate and Assembly majorities from agreeing on a congressional map, which follows the bizarre maps they had already proposed for their own chambers.
There have been discussions of a compromise bill that will produce some structural reforms and perhaps even a constitutional amendment, but none of that will really take effect for another decade, if ever.
That’s why I strongly urge the governor not to compromise with the legislative leaders, and to veto any redistricting bill because the Legislature’s proposed lines were not independently drawn. The new districts, blatantly gerrymandered and many of them bizarrely shaped, cater to political interests, not the people.
A veto by our governor would undoubtedly send a loud statement to the Legislature that gerrymandering ends now and weaken the Legislature’s position in defending its hyperpolitical maps in court. Moreover, this veto would be heralded not only across our state, but across the country, stating that the voters must have real choices and that legislative districts must be determined by independent experts, not by self-serving politicians.
Some argue that the promise of a constitutional amendment is a worthwhile tradeoff, but that wouldn’t take effect until 2022, preserving the status quo for 10 years. Changing redistricting is too important to wait that long.
And because two consecutive legislative sessions must pass a constitutional amendment before it can appear on the ballot, I have serious doubts, based on their actions to date, that the legislative leaders will keep their promise anyway.
Why? The old adage — fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me — applies here. Quite simply, how can we trust Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos‘ promise to effectuate any future structural reforms after he dishonorably failed to keep his pledge to create a 2012 independent commission?
How can we trust Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver‘s promise to actively support a future independent commission to eliminate gerrymandering? While he did not sign my pledge, Silver cleverly introduced the governor’s bill to create an independent commission in 2011, all the while presumably knowing he would never bring it to a vote.
In the end, it falls on all New Yorkers and our immensely talented governor to keep our legislators’ feet to the fire to produce a redistricting process by an independent commission, eliminating gerrymandering. And, if they don’t, it is time to throw the bums out once and for all.
I am proud to have fought the good fight seeking to provide a level playing field for those running for public office. We may not win, but the scrutiny on this issue is the result of the work of our group — and many others. There’s too much at stake to give in and give up. I won’t do it. Neither should the governor.
Koch is the former mayor of New York City.
