LatinoJustice and Unity Map Coalition Partners Say Map for New Council Districts Is “Far from Finished”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2022
Contacts:
Sarai Bejarano [email protected] | 212-739-7581
LatinoJustice and Unity Map Coalition Partners Say Map for New Council Districts Is “Far from Finished”
New York City Council Vote Concludes Lengthy Redistricting Process
New York, NY – The New York City Council voted to approve the new redistricting maps that the New York City Districting Commission approved and submitted earlier this month. The redistricting plan – which draws new lines for 51 City Council districts based on shifting population patterns as documented in the 2020 Census, and will dictate political power in the city for the next decade – was approved a few weeks short of the December 7 deadline to settle on a final map.
The following statement can be attributed to Cesar Ruiz, an attorney at LatinoJustice PRLDEF:
“After months of deliberation and back-and-forth and different iterations of a New York City redistricting map from the districting commission, we have a final map, but one which LatinoJustice PRLDEF and our partners in the Unity Map Coalition consider far from finished.
“The approved map still has many of the same issues our coalition has highlighted in past months, and draws lines that divide protected communities. One of our greatest concerns is around District 11, which has seen sizable growth in its Latino population, yet that community is deprived of majority status there.
“The Districting Commission’s failure to pass the Unity Map, which would have better reflected the composition and needs of protected communities in the city, is a lost opportunity. Those in power to represent community needs allowed themselves to get sucked into partisan political games, which caused delays and disarray in the process.
“This redistricting process has been unusually complicated, but we believe our communities deserve a map that will more justly represent them and their needs for the next decade. LatinoJustice will continue to defend and advocate for our communities’ electoral strength and power, and to ensure that our districting commission can be truly independent.”
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About LatinoJustice
LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education. For nearly 50 years, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has acted as an advocate against injustices throughout the country. To learn more about LatinoJustice, visit www.LatinoJustice.org