By John C. O'Connell
Redistricting is required by law after every federal census, and is designed to equalize the population in each Nassau county legislative district at about 70,000 people. Redistricting is also done to assure that minorities are given a fair chance to elect candidates of their choosing, and are not forced by district lines into districts with such large white majorities that their votes are diluted, effectively barring them from fair electoral participation.
As well as equalizing districts' populations, redistricting changes the boundary lines of districts whose minority populations have fallen below a number that would enable them to elect a candidate of their choice.
The affected Rockville Centre residents will "move" from District 5, now represented by Legislator Joseph Scannell, to Becker's District 6. The plan also moves residents of Rockville Centre's West End from District 2, which is represented by Deputy Majority Leader Roger Corbin, to District 5.
The redistricting plan considered last Thursday night was developed by the five Democrat-appointed members of the Temporary Redistricting Commission and approved by the 10 Democrats in the Legislature. The plan reconfigures all 19 current districts, even though, opponents said, only two of them, districts 2 and 14, had population shifts that legally required changes in their district lines.
Republicans charged that the other districts were changed to make it easier for Democrats to win re-election in their current districts and improve their chances of defeating incumbent Republicans in legislative elections in November.
Democrats defended their actions, saying their redistricting plan was completely legal and that the Republican members of the Temporary Redistricting Commission had refused to participate.
Republican legislative sources said Republicans might file a lawsuit against the action, explaining that while only 7,500 people needed to be redistricted to achieve compliance with the law, the Democrats redistricted more than 287,000 people in all 19 districts for political gain, using the law as cover.
At a hearing before the vote, supporters applauded the plan for its assurance of fair and constitutional representation for minorities, and others protested it for its effect on their communities.
Representatives from the incorporated and unincorporated villages spoke against the redistricting because the Democrats' map splits several villages into multiple legislative districts. Valley Stream Village Justice Robert Bogle testified that courts have recognized the importance of keeping municipalities and communities together for purposes of representation, citing late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall's decision that "boundary lines of local communities should be respected and be given high consideration."
Residents of East Meadow complained that the Democratic plan reduces their representation by including all of East Meadow in one district, whereas they now have two representatives.
Within minutes of the close of the hearing, Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs called for a vote, and the matter passed.
