New York Assembly OKs new district maps, almost with a shrug

ALBANY — The State Assembly on Monday approved new boundaries and maps for its 150 districts — with a bit of a shrug.

That’s because the new maps look almost exactly like the old ones.

Few lawmakers took issue with the minor tweaks — to the extent that the bill to approve the new districts passed the Assembly without much debate, on a 132-13 vote.

The State Senate, which also had to vote on the maps, approved them 60-1. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the measure Monday and the new maps will be used in the 2024 election cycle.

At issue was redistricting of the Assembly, one year after the tumultuous process of redrawing New York’s State Senate and congressional lines.

Republicans had sued over congressional and Senate maps drawn by the Democrat-controlled State Legislature in 2022 as part of the once-in-a-decade redistricting process, asserting two things: The constitutional process wasn’t followed and the maps were gerrymandered to benefit Democrats.

Eventually, the state’s highest court agreed and a special master redrew the maps.

Republicans didn’t sue over the Assembly district lines in part because there was no substantial complaint about gerrymandering. But a separate lawsuit, citing the same improper process, resulted in the court tossing the old maps and effectively ordering the state’s redistricting commission to redo the Assembly maps.

The commission did so, but produced maps remarkably like the old ones.

How much so? The City University of New York’s Graduate Center, which has compiled comprehensive redistricting maps throughout the process, said 141 of the 150 Assembly districts are 95% or more the same as last year’s.

Take Long Island’s 22 Assembly districts. Three weren’t changed at all, 15 cover 99% of the same terrain as last year and the other four cover at least 95% of the same district boundaries.

Among those getting tweaks is the Assembly Sixth District, represented by Assemb. Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood). The old map had split minority communities in Central Islip, Ramos said.

“The new map unifies Central Islip again and better represents a contiguous community of common interest,” Ramos said Monday. “I’m glad they considered the community’s input.”

That small change triggered a slight edit of the neighboring 8th District, represented by Assemb. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-St. James): It now includes all of Islandia, instead of just part.

Similarly, all of Southampton Town now is in the 1st District, held by Assemb. Fred Thiele (D-Sag Harbor). Previously, a sliver was in the 2nd District, held by Assemb. Jodi Giglio (R-Baiting Hollow), who picks up the Moriches.

All the Assembly districts in Nassau County cover at least 98% of their old territory.

According to CUNY, the three Long Island districts with virtually no changes were the 3rd, represented by Assemb. Joe DeStefano (R-Medford); the 10th, by Assemb. Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills); and 14th, by Assemb. David McDonough (R-Merrick).

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy