Press Releases
Redistricting
Civil Rights Groups Answer Summary Judgment Motion in Prison-Based Gerrymandering Lawsuit
Attorneys for the fifteen voters from around New York State who have joined the legal defense of New York’s law ending prison-based gerrymandering today filed papers asking New York Supreme Court Judge Eugene Devine to grant their motion for summary judgment and uphold the law.
– 08/19/11
Judge Allows Organizations Representing Voters to Defend Law Ending Prison-Based Gerrymandering
A New York Supreme Court judge has cleared the way for civil rights organizations representing fifteen voters from across New York State to join the Attorney General in defending New York’s law ending “prison-based gerrymandering,” a practice that had distorted representation across New York State.
– 08/11/11
Civil Rights Organizations File Motion to Defend Law Ending Prison-Based Gerrymandering
Today, top civil rights organizations filed a motion in New York Supreme Court asking to intervene to help defend New York’s new law allocating people in prison to their home communities for redistricting and reapportionment.
– 05/17/11
Brennan Center Supports Prison Redistricting Law
The Brennan Center for Justice issued the following statement reacting to a lawsuit filed by State Senator Elizabeth O’Connor Little and other plaintiffs challenging New York’s landmark law allocating people in prison to their home communities for redistricting purposes.
– 04/07/11
Brennan Center for Justice and National Urban League Partner on Redistricting
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law and the National Urban League today announced a strategic collaboration to educate and empower historically underserved urban communities on redistricting issues in 2011. Please visit the following link to register and obtain information about the webinars: http://www.iamempowered.com/article/2011/02/22/web-based-census-redistricting-training
– 02/25/11
Brennan Center Commends Gov. Cuomo for Introducing Redistricting Reform Act
The Brennan Center for Justice issued the following statement commending Governor Andrew Cuomo for introducing the Redistricting Reform Act of 2011, comprehensive legislation that will increase transparency and public participation in the state’s redistricting process and provide important protections for communities throughout the state.
– 02/17/11
New York Passes Landmark Legislation to End Prison-Based Gerrymandering
New York - Last night, the New York State Legislature passed a landmark piece of legislation to end prison-based gerrymandering. This bill comes on the heels of another important policy, passed and signed into law in June, intended to educate people with felony convictions about their right to vote in New York.
– 08/04/10
Advocates Commend Census Bureau for Enhancing States’ Access Prison Population Data in 2010
This week, the Census Bureau has agreed to produce a new data product that will assist state and local governments in avoiding prison-based gerrymandering, whereby districts that contain prisons are given extra representation in the legislature.
– 02/10/10
Coalition Urges New York to End Prison-Based Gerrymandering
Today the Brennan Center for Justice urges New York State Senate and Assembly leaders to end prison-based gerrymandering. In most of New York, people in prison are counted in the Census where they are incarcerated rather than in their home communities. This policy skews the demographic characteristics in both urban and rural locales throughout the state. The campaign being launched today will urge passage of legislation that would use the 2010 Census to count people who are in prison in their home districts rather than the districts where they are incarcerated. Sponsored by Senator Eric Schneiderman and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, the legislation could affect the redistricting landscape in upcoming elections.
– 01/28/10
Federal Bill Draws Needed Attention to Redistricting Reform
Today, Congressmen John Tanner (D-TN), Mike Castle (R-DE), and Allen Boyd (D-FL) proposed federal legislation that would substantially change the way congressional districts are drawn. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, a national leader in the effort to draw fair districts, welcomed the return of the issue to national prominence.
– 06/24/09