NEW YORK (AP - MODIFIED) — A judge has ordered New York’s Democrat-controlled Legislature to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative districts after finding they were unconstitutional.
Judge Patrick McAllister said in a Thursday ruling that maps redrawing the state’s congressional districts were gerrymandered to benefit Democrats. McAllister said those districts must be redrawn, along with the legislative districts, in a way that attracted at least some bipartisan support. The map that was rejected by the judge Thursday was approved by the New York State Legislature in February.
The judge gave lawmakers until April 11 to try again. If their new maps fail to pass muster in the courts again, then the judge said he would order the state to pay for a court-approved expert to redraw the maps.
