Local News: September 26, 2023

- Republicans win preliminary court cast over redistricting -

Republicans won the latest legal skirmish over the state’s congressional redistricting. Politico New York reports that last week a state Court of Appeals decided not to force redistricting to start while a Republican appeal is being considered. The party is challenging a July order from a state Supreme Court that said the process had to be done over. Maps were re-drawn in 2022. The state Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear the GOP case in November.

- Attorney General tells group to cease voter intimidation campaign -

State Attorney General Letitia James has issued a “cease and desist” letter to a group called New York Citizens Audit. It describes the group's activities as “voter deception and intimidation efforts”. The Albany Times Union reports that members of the group are accused of saying they to work for the state or county board of elections, confronting voters at home, and accusing them of committing criminal voter fraud. The group issued a statement in August denying similar allegations by the State’s Board of Elections.

- Binghamton University gets more federal funding for electric battery hub -

Binghamton University is getting $1.5 million in federal funding for its New Energy New York initiative to create an electric battery hub in the Southern Tier. The university got over $63 million in federal funding for the same initiative last year. The money is to increase workforce training, entrepreneurship, and to attract supply chain companies to the region.