{"id":23541,"date":"2026-06-02T21:32:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T21:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/democrats-seek-more-control-over-referenda-in-new-york\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T21:32:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T21:32:27","slug":"democrats-seek-more-control-over-referenda-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/democrats-seek-more-control-over-referenda-in-new-york\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats seek more control over referenda in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"New<\/p>\n

THE EMPIRE STATE STRIKES BACK:<\/b> New York Democrats are moving full bore ahead with their plans to join the nationwide redistricting war.<\/p>\n

And their efforts are more expansive than their constitutional amendment to allow mid-decade changes<\/a> to congressional maps: Democrats are also moving a measure that would permanently give the Legislature the authority to decide the wording of ballot questions like the expected 2027 redistricting referendum.<\/p>\n

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said today the decision to take such an aggressive approach \u2014 the amendment would eliminate a ban on lines drawn to favor political parties \u2014 was based on the Supreme Court decision<\/a>, which made redistricting \u201cmore of a wide-open process.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us here in New York, we want to be able to have as much flexibility in drawing districts as other states,\u201d Heastie said. \u201cAsking New York to play fair while everybody else is playing ruthless, it\u2019s not right to ask us to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does that mean the speaker will be \u201cruthless\u201d when picking up the mapmaking pen in 2028?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to play fair based on how other people play,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Before the Empire State gets to the point where new maps are drawn, voters would need to approve the amendment next November. And the parallel ballot language effort from Democrats stands to increase the chances of that happening.<\/p>\n

That bill would strip the bipartisan Board of Elections of its power to decide how constitutional amendments appear on the ballot and let the Legislature determine the wording<\/a> seen by voters.<\/p>\n

The move raised the specter that next year\u2019s referendum won\u2019t highlight its potential to legalize gerrymandering, and instead include platitudes like asking voters if they want to \u201cprotect democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClearly, they\u2019re doing this with a purpose,\u201d said state Sen. Jack Martins, a Nassau County Republican. \u201cThe last thing we should do is play politics with our state constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n

As it now stands, the attorney general\u2019s office makes recommendations on ballot wording to the two Democratic and two Republican commissioners on the Board of Elections. Those commissioners have the final say over what ballot questions look like.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving both sides is a strength,\u201d said Peter Kosinski, the board\u2019s Republican co-chair. \u201cMaking sure voters see fair language \u2014 not just partisan language on the ballot \u2014 should be our goal. And I think the Board of Elections achieves that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democrats counter that they\u2019re best suited for determining this language.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe will of the Legislature is extrapolated from what the people want, as opposed to the evenly-divided Board of Elections,\u201d Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris said. \u201cThe voters of this state have elected Democrats to overwhelming majorities in both houses. Why should the Republican party have 50 percent of the say in what legislative proposals look like on the ballot?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just think it\u2019s better to be in our hands,\u201d Heastie said. \u2014 Bill Mahoney<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

From the Capitol<\/h3>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

NON-DISCLOSURE PUSH: <\/b>The advocacy group Lift Our Voices is making a last-minute push for a bill that would place new restrictions on the use of non-disclosure agreements.<\/p>\n

The group, co-founded by Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky, is pushing to change \u201ctoxic workplace cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n

“New York should not be in the business of silencing workers,\u201d Carlson and Roginsky said in a joint statement. \u201cCalifornia, Washington, and New Jersey have already banned NDAs that keep survivors of workplace abuse from speaking out, and it’s time for New York to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bill<\/a>, which would prohibit the use of nondisclosure agreements in workplace discrimination cases, is among the hundreds of proposals being considered in the final week of the legislative session. \u2014<\/i><\/b> Nick Reisman<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

REDISTRICTING RODEO<\/b>: New York Democrats\u2019 pending redistricting amendment \u2014 first reported Monday night by Blue Light News \u2014 is getting a thumbs up from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just the beginning of our decisive response to the Jim Crow-like tactics unleashed by the Supreme Court when it gutted voting rights in America,\u201d Jeffries said in a statement. \u201cWe will ensure that there are free and fair elections moving forward. The Empire State will strike back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The proposed changes would enable Democrats to take an aggressive approach redrawing New York\u2019s House lines by 2028.<\/p>\n

Jeffries has taken a keen interest in his home state\u2019s efforts to change the redistricting process. He previously appointed Rochester Rep. Joe Morelle, a Democrat who previously served in the state Assembly, to coordinate the effort with Albany lawmakers. \u2014<\/i><\/b> Nick Reisman<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

PACKAGING FLOPS, DATA CENTER MORATORIUM MOVES: <\/b>Democratic lawmakers plan to send Gov. Kathy Hochul an omnibus measure on data centers<\/a> for artificial intelligence, including a one-year moratorium on new projects.<\/p>\n

The governor has been hesitant about the prospect of a statewide moratorium, which would be the first in the nation if she signs it.<\/p>\n

The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Didi Barrett, rolls in several proposals from lawmakers aimed at ensuring data centers don\u2019t lead to higher energy bills for residents. It also includes requirements for a new rate class for data centers and labor standards.<\/p>\n

Environmental advocates and Democratic lawmakers had initially proposed a three-year moratorium.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegulating hyperscale centers and also figuring out how to properly regulate artificial intelligence is an existential question,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cWe’re taking a first step here as a state, but it also doesn’t mean that we are getting in the way of innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in a blow to environmental advocates, Heastie told reporters today that he does not plan to bring the plastics bill up for a vote<\/a> \u2014 saying it doesn’t have the support to pass.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same line he offered last session, though advocates contend the votes are there and that it\u2019s special interest lobbyists standing in the way.<\/p>\n

The extended producer responsibility bill aims to shift the cost of waste management and recycling away from local governments to companies that sell packaged goods. It was one of the most lobbied on pieces of legislation outside of the budget last session.<\/p>\n

Supporters of the bill were hoping it gave the state a chance to make up for a budget that rolled back New York\u2019s landmark climate legislation. Opponents, meanwhile, have pointed to cost concerns ahead of an election focused on affordability.<\/p>\n

Heastie cited cost as the main reason Democrats in the Assembly are hesitant about the bill. However, the bill has 77 co-sponsors, more than the 76 votes needed to pass. Heastie himself said he was a \u201cyes\u201d on the bill. \u2014 Marie J. French and Mona Zhang<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

FROM CITY HALL<\/h3>\n

\"Mayor<\/p>\n

HER VIEWS THEY ARE A-CHANGIN\u2019:<\/b> Democratic socialist congressional hopeful Darializa Avila Chevalier is under fire for a spray of inflammatory social media posts about former President Joe Biden, police officers and various other individuals and issues.<\/p>\n

But Mamdani \u2014 who endorsed Avila Chevalier\u2019s insurgent campaign against Rep. Adriano Espaillat last week \u2014 waved off concerns about her online outbursts today.<\/p>\n

“She said herself that a lot of these [posts] don\u2019t reflect her views today, and I\u2019m incredibly excited to be supporting her today and her vision for not only a New York City but frankly a United States of America that working people can afford,” Mamdani told reporters this morning at a press conference in Queens.<\/p>\n

Most of Avila Chevalier\u2019s eyebrow-raising social media missives that have emerged in recent days were posted in 2020, when she was 26. As first reported by Playbook<\/a>, her expletive-riddled messaging included posts calling Biden \u201ca rapist\u201d and \u201ca war criminal\u201d and one in which she wrote former Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Mamdani ally, \u201chates Black people.\u201d<\/p>\n

More recent tweets have also emerged. BLN reported yesterday<\/a> that Avila Chevalier posted in 2021 that the \u201conly moral way forward\u201d is to \u201cliterally\u201d abolish all police, prisons and borders. She also reposted messages calling for the seizure of \u201call properties from landlords\u201d and the nationalization of all utilities, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.<\/p>\n

Avila Chevalier said in a statement that she has \u201cgrown considerably\u201d since she thumbed out the tweets. \u2014 Chris Sommerfeldt\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL<\/h3>\n

\"Rep.<\/p>\n

CHERRY PICKING: <\/b>It\u2019s been nearly a day since the debate<\/a> between Rep. Dan Goldman and former city Comptroller Brad Lander \u2014 and they\u2019re taking the fight online.<\/p>\n

Last night, Lander\u2019s campaign posted a debate clip on social media<\/a> of Goldman saying, \u201cI do take corporate PAC money\u201d and \u201cI have no problem taking money from anyone who wants to give it to me\u201d \u2014 a collage taken from a longer Goldman remark in which he explained that he only accepts corporate PAC money in his leadership PAC<\/i><\/a> in response to a question from Lander about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are right, I do not take any corporate PAC money in my own campaign account to use on my own campaign, and you also are correct that I do take corporate PAC money in my leadership PAC,\u201d Goldman said at the debate. \u201cThat leadership PAC cannot be used for me. It cannot be used for my campaign. It is only used to help my colleagues win back the majority, and I have no problem taking money from anyone who wants to give it to me to help the Democrats take back the majority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goldman responded to Lander on X<\/a>, writing: \u201cAre you seriously arguing that we shouldn\u2019t do literally everything in our power to win back the majority?\u201d In another post<\/a>, he charged: \u201cYou cannot believe anything he says. If he will edit out the most important part to mislead voters, what else is he lying about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of last year, Goldman\u2019s leadership PAC has taken tens of thousands of dollars from corporate PACs and disbursed more than $100,000 to Democratic candidates and organizations, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.<\/p>\n

Lander doubled down Tuesday. \u201cWow, what Dan Goldman said is he\u2019s perfectly fine taking money from anyone,\u201d he said in a video<\/a> using the clipped portion of the debate. \u201cThis is how we got here, is by a Democratic Party that is backed by billionaires and wealthy special interests \u2026 That\u2019s why we need better Democrats, folks who don\u2019t take all that corporate PAC money, who fight for working people.\u201d \u2014 Madison Fernandez<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

IN OTHER NEWS<\/h3>\n

\u2014 PAC MENTALITY:<\/b> American Priorities, a super PAC formed to counter pro-Israel groups like AIPAC, has pledged to spend $2 million for Democratic primary candidates Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez. (The New York Times<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 TAKE IT FROM ME:<\/b> Former Mayor Eric Adams met with Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman to offer advice on campaigning in New York City and signaled he may be open to endorsing him. (New York Post<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 CAPITOL LOSS:<\/b> New data reveals population shifts across upstate New York, with Albany losing residents while Saratoga and Warren gained them based on quality of life, housing and employment considerations. (Times Union<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Missed this morning\u2019s New York Playbook? We forgive you. <\/b>Read it here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE EMPIRE STATE STRIKES BACK: New York Democrats are moving full bore ahead with their plans to join the nationwide redistricting war. And their efforts are more expansive than their constitutional amendment to allow mid-decade changes to congressional maps: Democrats are also moving a measure that would permanently give the Legislature the authority to decide […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23541"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23541\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}