GOP redistricting plan passes, 10-8

With a single vote on May 24, the Nassau County Legislature shifted 576,000 voters out of their current legislative districts and into new ones, while also moving certain districts, such as the 19th, across the county.

Republicans control the Legislature, 11-8. The Legislature passed the redistricting plan with a 10-8 vote, and Legislator Denise Ford, a Republican from Long Beach, was the only GOP representative to vote against it. Legislator Robert Troiano, a Democrat who represents the 2nd District, was absent.

The plan, which the Legislature’s Republican majority recently crafted with help from the county attorney, John Ciampoli, drew sharp criticism from a variety of people during a May 9 hearing on the proposal. Representatives of Nassau’s African-American community said it would dilute the minority vote and potentially violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965, while Democrats said the plan represented an unlawful power grab by the GOP majority.

A State Supreme Court justice recently slapped a restraining order on the plan, effectively prohibiting the Legislature from voting on the matter. But an appellate judge overturned that decision, allowing the vote to move forward on Tuesday.

Whether the plan will survive remains to be seen. Representatives of both the Legislature’s Republican majority and Democratic minority were scheduled to return to court on Thursday. Democratic sources said they hoped to halt the plan with a court order, but the outcome of that hearing remained uncertain as the Herald went to press on Tuesday.

If the plan does stand up to court review, it will take effect in time for this year’s election in November.

Deputy County Attorney Joseph Nocella represented the county attorney’s office at Tuesday’s vote, filling in for Ciampoli, who was in the hospital.

Since the May 9 hearing, the GOP majority had tweaked the map to unite the Five Towns, which were split under the Republicans’ original proposal. Under the new plan, the Village of Cedarhurst would be removed from the newly proposed 19th District and moved to the 7th District.