Under New York's current system, the Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the State Assembly are effectively given the power to draw new district lines for their own chamber every ten years. This system guarantees partisan gerrymandering that produces districts that foster non-competitive elections. When districts are drawn to protect incumbents, legislators pursue their own interests, rather than working to earn the votes of their constituents. Legislators who feel secure in their jobs due to the design of their districts simply cannot be effective representatives.
What constitutes a fairly composed district can be best weighed and prioritized by an independent commission that would propose plans to be voted upon by the State Legislature. Under such a plan, the commission would draft three potential plans based on a set of criteria and the legislature would select one of the three. I support a constitutional amendment to create such an independent commission.
