Even though the state budget is more than a month late, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats shifted their focus to another topic — pushing New York into the middle of the congressional redistricting fight that’s becoming a national battle.

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sent Rochester Rep. Joe Morelle to meet with Hochul and legislative leaders — State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie — in Albany on Tuesday.

What You Need To Know

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sent Rochester Rep. Joe Morelle to meet with Hochul and legislative leaders — State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie — in Albany on Tuesday

He was gathering support to kickstart New York’s typical once in a decade redistricting process early

President Donald Trump’s months-long pitch to keep Congress in GOP hands has triggered several red states to attempt a redraw of their House maps, prompting some Democratic-led states, including California, to react

Instead of waiting until 2030, the governor and legislature would have to pass and sign a bill putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall and next, permitting voters to decide if they want to begin the redistricting process as early as 2028

He was gathering support to kickstart New York’s typical once in a decade redistricting process early.

“Last week’s Supreme Court decision — horrific Supreme Court decision — has given even more weight and importance to this effort,” Hochul said during an impromptu press conference in the State Capitol’s Red Room.

“We’ll do whatever we need in terms of resources to make sure that people understand what’s at stake here,” Morelle said, standing beside the governor.

The reason? Because Republicans started it in Texas.

“Those state legislators have made the decision that they’re going to do the most partisan gerrymandering necessary, so we’re going to respond in kind,” Morelle added.

President Donald Trump’s months-long pitch to keep Congress in GOP hands has triggered several red states to attempt a redraw of their House maps, prompting some Democratic-led states, including California, to react.

“Frankly, that’s a disservice to all the voters in New York,” Morelle said. “Would be effectively saying New York’s 19 representatives will forever be in the minority without any influence, and we’re simply not going to do it.”

Instead of waiting until 2030, the governor and legislature would have to pass and sign a bill putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall and next, permitting voters to decide if they want to begin the redistricting process as early as 2028.

“We are able to construct a different map that would be responsive to what these other states are doing without violating our principles,” Democratic State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris said.

New York Republicans are accusing them of playing dirty.

“It’s not fair, it’s absolutely ridiculous,” Republican State Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra said. “They had a Court of Appeals, a completely Democratic-appointed Court of Appeals, say they gerrymandered New York State’s maps before we were ever talking about this stuff.”

New York has a history of altering redistricting rules. In 2014, the legislature passed a measure creating a bipartisan staffed, independent commission tasked with redrawing New York’s 2020 lines. But the panel couldn’t agree, shifting responsibility to the state legislature.

Then, the Democratic-legislature’s maps were thrown out by a judge, accusing them of unfairly gerrymandering the lines to their advantage.

“They’re just trying anything they can to get their hands back in the dough,” Ra said.

Democrats would have to pass a bill before the end of the session in June. It’s a fast-approaching deadline as the budget is still late, turning to the negotiations.

Hochul is holding the line on new taxes, but said more education money could be on the way.

“Yes, I think we can do more on the education front, but also class size,” Hochul said during a separate event earlier in the day in Menands, a suburb of Albany.

She also cautioned against an ever-growing budget for an expensive city housing voucher program.

“I am trying to get them focused on a program that is growing 4% a month. It’s in the billions now, it is unsustainable,” Hochul said.

Sources say Hochul and the legislature could announce a budget deal as soon as the week’s end, but still face days’ worth of getting bills into print and voting on them.