Judge rejects New York’s redistricting plan, orders new maps

By MICHELLE L. PRICE
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — 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, a state trial court judge, said those districts must be redrawn, along with the legislative districts in a way that attracted at least some bipartisan support. The judge gave lawmakers until April 11 to try again. If their new maps fail to pass muster in the courts again, the judge said he would order the state to pay for a court-approved expert to redraw the maps.