New York Democrats on Sunday released a congressional gerrymander so egregious that it makes Republican efforts pale in comparison.
It's theoretically possible that two state Senate Democrats could defect, depriving them of the two-thirds margin needed for it to pass under the state constitution.
The New York Constitution clearly states that districts must "Consist of contiguous territory," "Be as compact in form as practicable" and not be drawn to disfavor political parties.
First, federal doctrine defers to state courts' interpretations of their own constitutions.
That's dispiriting, since all seven of the highest state appellate court's justices were appointed by Democratic governors.
It would be within the realm of a possible interpretation of the state constitution to which the federal courts rightly ought to defer.
The New York gerrymander is not yet law, but the state's courts should place this on their radar screens.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/02/01/new-york-democrat-gerrymander-egregious/
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