Assemblyman Jim Tedisco is pushing for Gov. David Paterson to include redistricting reform on the agenda of the special session that was supposed to take place Nov. 15, but has been indefintely delayed due to the chaos in the Senate.

Tedisco, a Schenectady County Republican, has a bill that would create legislative districts based on what he calls “common communities” and not “political power blocks.”

Assemblyman/Soon-to-be Senator Mike Gianaris is carrying the independent redistricting commission bill that was the basis of former NYC Mayor Ed Koch’s NY Uprising PAC reform pledge and has been signed by three of the four legislative leaders (Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is the holdout).

Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo didn’t sign the pledge, but did indicate support for it in a letter.

In his letter, it sounds like Tedisco prefers a constitutional amendment for redistricting reform, which is not what the Gianaris bill does.

There has been some criticism of changing the process via statute because it gives lawmakers the power to change it back, but Gianaris has argued an amendment would be too difficult and time consuming to put in place to impact the next round of line-redrawing.

Tedisco, who lost his post as Assembly minority leader after losing a close special election for the NY-20 seat to Democrat Scott Murphy (who lost this fall to Republican newcomer Chris Gibson) has been slowly returning to his vociferous old self.

Special Session Letter to Governor

Share|