February 1st, 2022 Daily Headlines

On Sunday, New York Democrats unveiled the state’s proposed congressional maps for the next 10 years. According to the Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman, the map would create 22 heavily democratic seats and 4 heavily republican seats. New York is currently represented by 19 Democrats and 8 Republicans. Ithaca and Syracuse will be placed in the new New York 22, creating a heavily Democratic Seat. All of Tompkins County will be included in the new New York 22 while Schuyler county will be split between New York 22 and the heavily Republican New York 23. According to the New York Times, the state legislature still must approve the map, with a vote expected some time this week. With Democrats holding supermajorities in both chambers, the maps are expected to pass. 

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On Monday Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, announced she would seek re-election in New York’s new 23rd Congressional District. New York 23’s current Representative, Tom Reed, is not seeking re-election in 2022. New York 23 will absorb portions of Tenney’s old district including Tioga, Chemung, and parts of Cortland and Broome counties. Tenney, who has been a staunch ally of former President Trump, currently represents New York’s 22nd District where she narrowly won reelection.

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Last Thursday, the Ithaca Tenants Union held a “court packing” event to protest evictions of 14 households. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, over 30 activists gathered outside the courthouse in frigid temperatures to provide “community oversight” and show solidarity with the evicted tenants. New York’s eviction moratorium ended on January 15th, after Governor Kathy Hochul said the state could no longer sustain financial assistance to landlords without further federal aid. 

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Starting today the Tompkins County Public Library will begin offering a mail delivery service. According to the Ithaca Voice, the service will deliver books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, and magazines to residents who can’t physically visit the library. The project is funded through a grant from Cornell University. Orders can be made through the library’s online catalog.