By Cris Italia and John C. O'Connell
Also as a result of the vote, Legislator Joseph Scannell (D-5th District) will lose his piece of Oceanside to Legislator Frances Becker (R-6th District).
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 ensure that minorities are given a fair chance to elect candidates of their choosing, and are not forced 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 redistricting plan considered two weeeks ago 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, District 2 and District 14, had population shifts that legally required changes in their district lines.
"This is a fair plan for Nassau County," Toback said. "It keeps all 19 incumbents in individual districts."
Fellow democrat Michael Zapson agreed with Toback's sentiments. "The map maintains effective minority districts," Zapson said. "In fact, both Districts 1 and 2 increase the percentage of minority population and comply with the federal Voting Rights Act."
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 may 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 assuring fair and constitutional representation for minorities, and others protested the plan 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 it now has two representatives.
Within minutes of the close of the hearing, Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs called for a vote and the matter passed.
