Nassau redistricting power play

Redistricting matters. When it's done in an overly political, hasty or possibly illegal manner, voters are disenfranchised.

That's why the attempt in Nassau County to slap together a haphazard redistricting plan in a matter of weeks shouldn't go forward.

Nassau Republicans claim the county charter requires the creation of temporary new districts, based on the 2010 Census, before November's elections. The county attorney is directing staffers in this hurried move and says the new boundaries will be made public by the end of the week and voted on by the legislature on May 16.

But this new interpretation -- which disregards past county practice -- is wrong, and clearly self-serving. The method would actually force the legislature to be redistricted twice in two years, as well as create a slapdash process in defiance of the county charter.

The charter calls for:

A districting commission to be created 18 to 20 months before the election in which the new districts would be used. This would have required the formation of a commission in May of last year -- before the census data were even fully gathered.

The commission to recommend the districts at least 10 months before the election and the legislature to approve them at least eight months before. Both of these dates fell before the 2010 Census data were released.

An initial redistricting for the 2003 election, then another every 10 years. That means the next one should be for 2013.

Admittedly, the charter, which was adopted in 1994, is ambiguous. One section states new districts must be "described" within six months of the release of census data. Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) and the county attorney have taken advantage of that lack of clarity to try to rush through an expensive, redundant and illegal redistricting process.

It's a power grab by a party that, thanks to changing demographics, knows it may no longer be in charge after redistricting is done properly for 2013. And redistricting twice in two years -- necessary since the 2013 requirement is spelled out in the charter -- would cost Nassau twice as much money, funds the beleaguered county doesn't have.

It's not as if the muddled nature of the charter has never been noticed. After the 2000 Census, the legislature voted to keep the old districts for the 2001 elections and set the creation of new ones for 2003. The best way to proceed now would be to pass a law that (as the charter demands) "describes" how the information in the 2010 Census suggests new districts should be composed, kicking off the conversation, but does not adopt them.

The charter ought to be amended to make this all clear, but redistricting should be done for 2013, not 2011. If the rushed drawing of new lines proceeds, Democrats say they'll sue to stop the process. And legal delays would certainly mean there wouldn't be enough time for proper campaigns, particularly for the primaries.

Nassau should focus on 2013. Politics aside, that's what the law, common sense, fiscal responsibility and the interests of the people dictate. hN