In the best of circumstances, good government groups only have so much influence over Planet Albany. And the limits of their power has been on display this summer, as New York Democrats make the partisan case for mid-decade redistricting to grow their footprint in Congress.

But is any of this new or has the subtext just become text at the Capitol?

To answer these questions and more, we're joined by Blair Horner, senior policy advisor for the New York Public Interest Research Group.

And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money).