https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...f3c207e9c44137af807a35d7b435e4&ei=21NY Democrats ram through new congressional map that will give them an edge in elections — then changes law to limit challenges
Story by Carl Campanile • 21h
New York Democrats rammed through new congressional maps that’ll give the party an edge in this year’s elections – then created new limits on legal challenges to their changes during an “emergency” vote Wednesday.
The vote on the Democratic-friendly maps happened so quickly after they were officially pitched that Gov. Kathy Hochul had to issue an emergency order to allow lawmakers to act.
With lawsuits looming to challenge their plan, state lawmakers also passed a bill that limits the filing of lawsuits against the changes to Democrat-friendly counties Erie, Albany, Westchester and New York.
The redrawn maps — which came after Democrats threw out a plan from a bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission — give a boost for the re-election of Rep. Tom Suozzi as well as “Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman, experts say. Hochul is expected to approve the Democrats’ plan.
The Senate passed the maps 45-17 and the Assembly approved them 150 to 33 — mostly along partisan lines.
Outrage Wednesday was focused more on the legal maneuver than the maps themselves.
An Assembly debate erupted on the separate legislation to limit where challenges could be filed that had already made its way through the Senate.
“Is this Russia?,” asked Assemblyman Edward Flood (R-Suffolk) during the floor debate.
“This sounds like it’s from a communist country.”
