Appeals Court Again Gives Legislators OK to Take up Redistricting Plan

The fate of a Democratic plan to redraw Suffolk County legislative districts is expected to be considered again Friday morning, after an appeals court once again overturned a lower-level court ruling to block legislators from taking any action.

Three times, judges have rejected the Democratic plans, on the Republican argument that the proposed redistricting maps failed to follow legal procedures. Three times, including the latest on Tuesday evening, appeals courts have rejected the lower-level courts, permitting the Democrats, who will lose their majority after Friday, to proceed.

A court ruling Monday, which came in minutes after the legislature convened to vote on the plan, barred legislators from taking any action on it.

If the Democrats succeed Friday in pushing their plan through, they still must get County Executive Steve Bellone’s signature as their majority in the legislature expires Friday and Republicans take over. The plan also has to be delivered to Albany.

They objected to the Democratic plan, saying it violated the county charter on how redistricting is supposed to be determined, and earlier decisions agreed that reapportionment commission should have been appointed.

The legislature is expected to take up the issue again Friday morning. Under the proposal, Huntington would lose the 17th District, which would south, while retaining the 16th and 18th districts. The latter two spots will switch from Democratic to Republican representation.

Newsday said that Legislator Kevin McCaffrey of Lindenhurst said, Republicans “are out of legal options at this point” to stop a vote.

 

Proposed Redistricting Maps Posted for Suffolk County

 

 

 

Leave a Reply