I n late February, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court issued a ruling that should comfort all Americans who love and defend our Constitution and the rule of law.
In a 3–1 ruling, the court ruled unconstitutional a law that was approved by New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams, sponsored by Councilman Ydanis Rodríguez, and pushed through with the help of his far-left allies; this law would have given noncitizens the right to vote under the guise of being “municipal voters.” The case came before the court after Borough president Vito Fossella, Councilman Joseph Borrelli, Assemblyman Michael Tannousis, and my colleague Deputy Senate Minority Leader Andrew Lanza — all of whom represent Staten Island — filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of law. The court agreed, affirming that the clause in the New York State Constitution “every citizen shall be entitled to vote” refers exclusively to United States citizens.
Allowing noncitizen voting devalues the constitutional right of law-abiding American citizens to participate in our democracy. The law would have weakened citizens’ votes, opening the possibility for stacking the ballot box and enabling voter fraud.
Why are some elected officials in our state pushing for noncitizens to vote in violation of fundamental and established constitutional principles? The unfortunate and frightening answer is one word: power.
New York is a deep-blue state. Democrats hold the governor’s mansion, both houses of the state legislature, the New York city council, and the mayoralty. But for them, it’s not enough. They strive for total dominance. They want an irretrievably one-party state. And no law or constitutional principle — no matter how fundamental and sacrosanct — will stand in their way as they impose their will.
Extremist Democrats have made New York into a haven for criminals and illegal immigrants. They have sprung criminals out of jail by preventing judges from imposing cash bail. They have weakened criminal statutes, allowing repeat convicted offenders to go back into the community and break the law again without serious repercussions. Their sanctuary policies have rolled out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants, literally providing taxpayer-funded room and board and debit cards free of charge. They ignore the verdict rendered by the voters of our state, rushing into legislative chambers to enact laws on items that were previously rejected in public referendums. They even thumb their nose at the courts, rejecting court-ordered nonpartisan congressional-district boundaries in favor of attempting — for the second time in as many years — to set up gerrymandered districts that would make political bosses in the smoke-filled rooms of yore blush.
Democrats in New York should be pushing for laws that strengthen and secure elections; instead they are trying to give away our right to vote — a right that’s sacred to our republic. I have a bill introduced in the state senate, S. B. S3625, that would require voters to present a valid government ID when voting. The bill contains a provision to waive fees to ensure that economically disadvantaged individuals can secure IDs if needed. Essentially, it will confirm the identity of the citizen casting a vote.
Left-wing Democrats in New York and elsewhere are following a troubling playbook. Under the guise of being enlightened and all-inclusive, they are pushing to guarantee their political survival as their policies become increasingly unpalatable for decent, law-abiding people. They want absolute power and have already embraced corrupt methods to attain it.
What just played out in the courtrooms of New York State is a cautionary tale for the entire country. The court got this one right, and thankfully, our system worked. But as Democrats continue attempting to rig that very system, we must seriously confront the reality that next time we may not be so lucky.