Dueling redistricting maps expected

ALBANY - Republicans and Democrats were expected to release dueling, partisan plans Wednesday for drawing New York's new congressional districts and shrinking the state's delegation from 29 to 27, legislative officials said.

The maps were produced to comply with a federal judge's order. Few Capitol observers and officials expect the maps to be the ones that eventually go into effect.

Officials said they anticipated that the Republican-led State Senate would propose throwing two Democrats -- Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-Roslyn Heights) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) -- into the same district, setting up a primary fight.

And the Democrat-controlled Assembly will propose carving up Republican Bob Turner's Queens-Brooklyn district, which once was held by former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, giving shares to Ackerman and Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Woodside).

The other seat will be lost upstate. Both plans are expected to take advantage of the pending retirement of Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-Hurley) to slice up his district, which runs west from the Hudson River to Ithaca, to account for the other seat that must be lost.

However, Republicans and Democrats will propose drawing the lines in different ways, to favor their incumbents.

The two houses are producing the maps to comply with a federal judge's deadline. Doing so, however, doesn't preclude the two sides from reaching a compromise rather than allow a court-appointed official to draw the maps.

Many observers still expect a deal to be reached.