Ulster County Edition
 

Getting Prepared for the "New" NY19
 

Sign Up to Testify with the NYS Independent Redistricting Commission

 As the Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) of New York State embarks on its process of drawing the future district lines of New York State, feedback and guidance from the residents of New York is of the utmost importance.  At the core of the Commission’s goal is to fairly and equitably redraw Congressional and State Legislature lines. 

Virtual public hearings are being held to solicit input from your community. The hearing date for the mid-Hudson area is Tuesday, August 2nd, at 2 pm EST. If you wish to testify in person, be sure to sign up 24 hours in advance of the hearing. By submitting your community of interest to the IRC, and presenting it at your local hearing, New Yorkers have the chance to contribute to the redistricting process.

Full list of public hearings here
Members of NYS Independent Redistricting Commission here
 

Why We Must Pass S.1/For the People Act by August 16



Not all states have independent redistricting commissions that minimize partisan gerrymandering. States like North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas allow their state legislatures to decide (likely to result in hyper-partisan gerrymandering). The For the People Act would "expressly outlaw partisan gerrymandering and impose a uniform set of rules for how districts should be drawn, including requiring states to prioritize protections for communities of color and keeping geographically concentrated communities with shared interests (often referred to as “communities of interest”) together." [Source: Brennan Center]

Because of the August 16th Census data release date, we have only a few weeks for the U.S. Senate to pass FTPA , which requires eliminating/amending the filibuster.
Congress is scheduled to go on recess on August 2nd, so our call to action is simple:

ICYMI


Axios article Dem's House hopes hang on two states 
(and one of them is New York).