Jul. 28, 2025
Democratic state lawmakers are preparing to introduce a concurrent resolution to amend the constitution that would allow New York to redraw its House lines in the middle of the decade if other states move forward with redistricting.
The pending amendment is being proposed by Assemblymember Micah Lasher and Sen. Mike Gianaris, and comes days after Gov. Kathy Hochul did not rule out changing the state’s House district boundaries as red states like Texas and Ohio move forward with mid-decade redistricting.
Lasher, a former Hochul adviser, laid out his rationale in a memorandum to colleagues that was obtained by POLITICO.
“Given the process for amending the constitution, this proposal would have no bearing on the 2026 elections, and therefore is not directly responsive to Texas’s impending actions,” he wrote. “It seems to me, however, that Texas’s actions will mark the start of an arms race around continuous, partisan redistricting actions, and I do not think the State of New York should be sidelined in future years.”
Changes to the state constitution take time: Amendments must be approved by two separately elected sessions of the state Legislature and then approved by voters in a referendum.
Hochul last week told reporters she has spoken with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about the issue and was keeping her options open.