Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks on New York’s Redistricting Plans Amid Trump Administration’s Nationwide Gerrymandering Push

Governor Kathy Hochul today delivered remarks on New York's redistricting plans amid the Trump administration's nationwide gerrymandering push.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

I want to take an opportunity to talk about one of the less discussed consequences of our failure to build housing. We've been losing too many New Yorkers, as I said, to other states because of our failure to build housing. What that does is it also diminishes our representation in Washington and it makes us more vulnerable when Donald Trump and the Republicans conspire to gerrymander districts in other states to run up the score to maintain control of the House. And they're doing this because they know they lost the confidence of the American people, so they're basically trying to cheat.

This started over a year ago, or almost a year ago ,in Texas, and it's opened up the floodgates to other states deciding that they don't have to follow the rules and, therefore, they think they can get a strategic and political advantage, which is to the disadvantage of places like New York. Now, in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on the Voting Rights Act, I'm going to be meeting with Congressman Joe Morelle in a little while to discuss redistricting in our own state, what that would look like, how it would unfold.

And I want to make sure that New Yorkers have a chance to vote on this - this will not just be done by the Legislature. Our process is more cumbersome than other states, but, by design. And that means that there have to be two consecutive sessions of the State Legislature - it could be this year and next year, there'd be a different session - before it can go on the ballot for the voters.

Again, I want to remind everyone this will be a decision of the voters. We're just giving them that option. And this does not have to be a partisan fight. It's a fight for our democracy. It's a fight for fair representation. And I want to make sure that New Yorkers have representation when it comes to decisions affecting their lives.

Reproductive rights. My God, look what's happening this week with the courts in Louisiana and healthcare coverage and decisions about tariffs, which are driving up the cost of everything, or decisions about wars. New Yorkers need to have more representation, and I'm going to commit to working with our Legislature to talk about these efforts after I have this conversation with Congressman Morelle.