Keep New York election maps nonpartisan

It looks like the claim of State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos that he would back nonpartisan redistricting lasted until it was time to start talking seriously about nonpartisan redistricting.

Last year Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) signed on to former New York City Mayor Ed Koch's initiative to design compact, contiguous and competitive election districts based on the 2010 Census. Koch's group, New York Uprising, is one of many reform groups that advocate the creation of an independent commission to draft advisory maps that honor county and community boundaries, are equal in population, and aren't based on partisan needs. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo agreed in principle to this model and has said he will veto any redistricting plan passed by the legislature that doesn't meet these requirements.

Now, Skelos is backtracking.

Last week, he said that since the committee's recommendations must be approved by the State Legislature and governor, the process can't be truly nonpartisan. He suggested a constitutional amendment would be needed to really create nonpartisan redistricting in the future. For now he seems to be signaling business as usual: districts designed to protect parties and incumbents.

Skelos should stick to the ideals he espoused originally and lead the fight to create nonpartisan districts now, not later. hN