New city council maps are published

The New York City Districting Commission recently published online the new city council district maps, which will be in place for the next decade. Over the course of eight months, the commission spent more than 100 hours redrawing lines after having received more than 13,000 submissions from the public and hosting 20 public meetings.

While the commission was able to get the new maps certified in time for the upcoming city council election, there were some bumps along the way. Most notably — in a highly unexpected move — a round of draft maps were rejected by eight of its 15 commission members in a meeting in September.

Bronx Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Sorin, who sits on the commission, was one of the eight who voted down that draft.

“Commissioner Sorin firmly believes that more outreach needs to be conducted in communities where English is not the primary language,” a spokesperson for Sorin previously told The Riverdale Press. “Additionally, a closer look needs to be had on how to develop robust outreach tools to serve communities which had low engagement numbers.”

Councilman Eric Dinowitz ultimately was pleased with how his new district 11 looked. “I lend my vocal support for the districting commission maps that were voted on…I am proud of the work we did here in the Bronx to engage our residents,” he said in a statement. “The commission’s maps reflected the will of the people.” That said, he gave a public testimony against a previous version of the maps that cut Wakefield out of his district. Ultimately he was able to successfully lobby against that move. 

Speaker Adrienne Adams was equally happy with how the maps turned out.

“The council accepts the plan without objection…I applaud the invaluable contributions of New Yorkers,” she said. “And thank all the members and staff of the commission for their hard work.”

Espaillat pushes for more protections to immigrants

U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a Democrat, introduced a new bill on Dec. 13 to help protect immigrants who have been victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, and gender-based violence.

Known as the Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment Act, the bill would essentially ensure that immigrants have access to the same protections currently afforded to U.S. citizens, including the Violence Against Women Act, the Trafficking Victim Protection Act, and other federal and state laws. The bill would also ensure immigrants seeking these protections are not detained or deported before their applications are fully adjudicated, the press release said.

“Immigrant victims of domestic violence, trafficking, and gender-based assaults deserve protections regardless of their immigration status,” the Congressman said. “Immigrant survivors are less likely to report a crime in fear of detention and deportation, which makes them even more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

“These crimes are dehumanizing and reprehensible. We must do what it takes to ensure protections are in place and victims feel empowered to seek assistance. I am proud to join my colleagues in this effort to reaffirm our commitment to victims of violence when they need our help the most.”

According to a press release from Espaillat, immigrant survivors of crime are less likely to report that crime committed against them due to fear of detention and deportation than a U.S. citizen.

Espaillat is introducing the bill alongside several other U.S. representatives including Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, and Jimmy Panetta of California. “With this bill, we are reiterating our commitment to protect immigrant survivors, to empower them to seek help, and to ensure their safety is not tied up with their ability to stay in this country,” Jayapal said.

Rockland GOP chair
runs for state spot

Rockland County Republican chairman Lawrence Garvey announced his intent on becoming the New York Republican State Committee chair in a press release sent out on Monday.

“We proudly stand up for our values in Rockland and successfully pull voters across the aisle each and every election to win. As we reflect on the 2022 elections, it’s imperative that we look at the full picture. The positives and the negatives, in order to move forward and build a brighter future for our Republican party,” Garvey said. “In Rockland, where I’ve had the honor of being Chairman for the last nine years, we had a fantastic year. Michael Lawler slayed the proverbial dragon and head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Sean Patrick Maloney. Our congressman-elect will be taking office in January and we couldn’t be more proud.”

Nick Langworthy is the current chair of the state party.