Here We Go Again, Draft NY State Assembly Redistricting Map Proposal Moves Roosevelt Island From Manhattan To Queens - You're Invited To Join January 19 Meeting At Senior Center To Keep Roosevelt Island In Manhattan Assembly District

As reported last December 6:

According to the NY State Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) draft Assembly map released Thursday December 1, Roosevelt Island and portions of the Upper East Side will be moved from Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright's Manhattan 76 Assembly District to the mostly Queens 36th Assembly District currently represented by Zohran Mamdani....

Here we go again. Looks like @NYS_IRC moved Roosevelt Island into a Queens Assembly District in draft map. @SeawrightForNY https://t.co/3EhDSfSxh3

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) December 1, 2022

Roosevelt Island resident and Main Street Dems founder Joyce Short was a leader in the successful organizing efforts last year to keep Roosevelt Island in the traditional Manhattan  NYC City Council District which had been moved to Queens in the Draft redistricting proposal.

Ms Short reports:

Just as Roosevelt Islanders felt comfortably secure in Manhattan, the State of NY has thrown us a curveball!

The redistricting map which was approved for the recent Assembly election was vetoed by NY State’s appellate court. While, for now, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright remains our representative, if the new map prevails, we will have a Queens Assembly Member, not a Manhattan Assembly Member from the 2024 election.

Important steps for Roosevelt Islanders….. 

The next meeting to plan the community’s presentation at the NYIRC hearing (at 4 PM on February 7th) will take place Thursday, January 19th at the Senior Center at 546 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, at 7 PM. You do not need to be affiliated with any party or be a registered voter to participate in our resistance to change.

Redistricting our community to Queens spells disaster for several reasons. By NY State’s own redistricting rules: 

1. Districts must consist of contiguous territory and shall be as compact in form as possible. 
2. The commission must take into account the maintenance of existing districts, pre-existing political subdivisions, including counties, cities, towns, and communities of interest. 

Here’s more...

Assembly Member Seawright adds: 

Commissioners on New York's redistricting panel recently voted to advance a new proposed map for state Assembly legislative boundaries. I am very disappointed to see that the proposal for our AD76 would eliminate Roosevelt Island and redistrict it to a Queens Assembly District. I am committed to fighting alongside constituents to keep Roosevelt Island where it belongs.

Roosevelt Islanders were so powerful in their testimony during the New York City Council districting process, I believe together we can make an unequivocally strong argument to keep Manhattan's Roosevelt Island with our Manhattan Assembly District 76. The process for state redistricting requires rigorous scrutiny, consistent with a process that ensures fairness, provides a platform for all voices, and carefully reviews all options.

The next steps are a series of public hearings around the State. The hearing in Manhattan will be on February 7, 2023 at the Hunter College Kaye Playhouse. I urge all concerned to share their views by testifying in person or submitting comments to the Commission directly at www.nyirc.gov/participate.

Here is January 12 Main Street Dems Zoom meeting on the NY State Assembly redistricting issue.

More info here.