NYS Seal

ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
ASSEMBLY LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH AND REAPPORTIONMENT

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING


SUBJECT:

Redistricting

PURPOSE:

To examine the method New York State utilizes in reapportioning congressional and state legislative district boundaries.

Utica State Office Building
Monday, September 25, 2006
10:00 am
207 Genesee Street
Conference Rooms A and B, 1st Floor
Utica, NY

Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Auditorium
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
10:00 am
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY

New York City
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
10:30 am
Assembly Hearing Room
250 Broadway, Room 1923, 19th Floor


The United States Constitution requires that congressional and state legislative district boundaries be redrawn every ten years in a manner reflecting population shifts identified by the Federal census, a process referred to as "redistricting and reapportionment." In New York State, the state legislature, pursuant to statute, is responsible for meeting this constitutional requirement. These hearings will examine if the current process, which relies on a bipartisan legislative task force, which consists of members of both the Senate and the Assembly, to hold hearings and recommend legislation, should be retained or altered in order to ensure that a fair and efficient process for creating election districts is in place before the next reapportionment following the 2010 census. Further, the hearings will consider proposals for changes to the reapportionment process and evaluate improvements that would more closely conform the New York State system to the requirements of the federal Voting Rights Act, United State Department of Justice rulings, and other federally mandated requirements. Bills pending in the Assembly on this issue include: A.624 (Brodsky); A.2056 (Galef); and A.6287-a (Gianaris).

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at the above hearings should complete and return the reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to ten minutes' duration. Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committee's interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.


RoAnn M. Destito
Chair
Committee on Governmental Operations

Adriano Espaillat
Co-Chair
Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment



PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearings on Reapportionment are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail it to:

Nichole Hedglin
Committee Assistant
Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations
Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, 22nd Floor
Phone: (518) 455-4355
Fax: (518) 455-7250


box I plan to attend the following public hearing on Reapportionment to be conducted by the Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations and the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment on September 25, 2006 in Utica, NY

box I plan to attend the following public hearing on Reapportionment to be conducted by the Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations and the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment on September 26, 2006 in Buffalo, NY

box I plan to attend the following public hearing on Reapportionment to be conducted by the Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations and the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment on October 17, 2006, in New York, NY

box I plan to make a public statement at the hearing identified above. My statement will be limited to ten minutes, and I will answer any questions which may arise. I will provide 10 copies of my prepared statement.

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