Troiano: Redistricting Weakens Minorities' Power

Nassau County Legis. Robert Troiano, D-Westbury, is prepared to fight the GOP's plan to redistrict the area.

"I'm horrified by this blatant power grab," he told Patch, accusing it of disenfranchising minority groups in the County.

Under the amended map, in a 10-8 vote on Tuesday, Troiano, who represents District 2, would lose all of his constituents in Lakeview, while gaining more ground in Hempstead and parts of Uniondale.

Lakeview residents would instead be placed in District 1, which is currently under the leadership of Kevan Abrahams, D-Hempstead. This district also includes parts of Hempstead, Roosevelt and Uniondale.

Both District 1 and District 2 were designed in the early 1990s to be minority majority districts, Troiano explained, meaning the majority of residents eligible to vote in these districts are minorities. This is to ensure that atleast two seats in the legislature would be filled by politicians that would represent minority groups in the County. 

He pointed out that the number two wasn't chosen at random. "Two out of 19 legislators is about 10 percent, which mimics the [minority] population of Nassau County," he said.

Under the new plan, Troiano said the GOP is "packing" minority voters into District 1 and "cracking" District 2, therefore, diluting their voting power, a practice that he says federal law prohibits.

"By removing Lakeview from District 2, the plan significantly reduces the number of minorities in the district," he said. "It is less certain now that minorities will be able to elect someone to this seat that represents their interests."

The Nassau Democrats have been challenging the redistricting plan, taking it to New York State Supreme Court, where earlier this month a judge to prevent the maps from going into effect this year. The judgement had resulted in the Republicans but they decided to move forward after an appeals court judge stayed the order.

Troiano said the Democrats are continuing to pursue the case in the State Supreme Court and are prepared to take it to federal court.

"I don't expect the amended plan will stand up in a court of law," Troiano said. 

He's also been holding meetings and speaking with his constituents regarding the redistricting plan, which he says comes two years earlier than scheduled.

"Twenty years ago the federal courts demanded that there be adequate representation of minorities in Nassau County," he said. "My sense is that the residents of Lakeview are outraged at this attempt to turn back the hands of time."

To see how redistricting would change representation in Malverne and West Hempstead