Nassau GOP's power-grab
Nassau County Presiding Officer Peter J. Schmitt talks about the proposed changes to Nassau's district maps. Credit: Newsday/Karen Wiles Stabile
The hastily drafted Nassau County redistricting plan will likely pass the legislature's Rules Committee Monday, the first step to approving new boundaries.
The plan is an obvious power-grab by the Republican majority, fearful that a shift in demographics made clear by the 2010 Census could erode its power. The proposed new lines protect Republican incumbents, force Democratic incumbents to face each other and dilute the support of likely Democratic challengers.
When districts in Nassau were redrawn after the 2000 Census, the process took almost two years. Now a plan is being hustled through in little more than a month. After Monday's proceedings, the schedule rushes to a public hearing on May 9 and dashes toward a final vote a week after that. How long the court challenge will take, of course, is another story.
