Nassau GOP should draw a fairer map

Both of Long Island’s county legislatures have Republican majorities. Both also have redistricting panels divided by design equally between the major parties.

A few weeks ago, to its credit, Suffolk’s appointed panel broke through a stalemate and secured a bipartisan agreement on a 10-year plan consistent with 2020 census numbers. But on Monday, a similar body in Nassau failed miserably at the same task. That county’s bipartisan advisory commission deadlocked on submitting either of its separate partisan maps to lawmakers. Now the GOP’s 12-7 legislative majority may write the lines as its leadership sees fit. That could mean the traditional one-sided domination by a Republican machine dead-set on maximizing its power for another decade to come.

That cynical default would be bad for the county. A quick glance at the version proposed by Republicans on the panel suggests this.

Presiding Officer Rich Nicolello’s 9th Legislative District would retain a contrived twisting-dragon shape, with his New Hyde Park home in its southern extremity. Legis. Laura Schaefer’s 14th LD would continue to resemble a work of Cubist art, with barely linked polygons running west to east. There are four so-called “majority-minority” districts on the Republican map; the Democrats’ proposal includes five. Democrats note the GOP plan doesn't keep the Five Towns together. David Mejias, the panel’s top Democrat, suggests the Republican-proposed districts wouldn’t meet state and federal standards of contiguity, compactness and keeping communities of interests whole.

It’s a matter of balance. Republicans currently hold more seats than registration numbers may suggest. As of Nov. 1, the county had 387,531 active Democratic voters versus 296,763 registered Republicans. But blurring the two-party narrative is the fact that 256,771 Nassau voters are unaffiliated with a party. As the “in” party, Republicans have yet to say whether many of those in Asian communities should be grouped in districts to bolster their clout on Long Island. It might be in the GOP’s interest to address the question. Recent elections show Democrats have no lock on Asian American votes.

Nassau Republicans should find ways to render fairer the map they enact. Right now it looks as if they’ll leave it largely intact from a decade ago, when the GOP also was in control, and just let Democrats try to sue. Remember: Democrats’ overreach in Albany backfired only a few months ago on congressional and State Senate redistricting. A court special master wrote the lines. The Democrats rued the results. 

State law bars incumbent protection and racial discrimination in local districting. Could those or other provisions make Nassau GOP lines vulnerable to challenge?

Suffolk Republicans made the right deal, avoiding litigation. It would be a boon to all sides if Nassau Republicans also decide to play it straight and try anew for a bipartisan agreement.