Nassau County passes new legislative district map

After dozens of hearings, months of public input and several heated exchanges between Nassau County lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, the final redistricting map proposal which will represent the 19 legislative districts for the next 10 years passed on Feb. 27.

11 Republicans of the majority voted for the map, while seven Democratic minority leaders voted in opposition — a disappointing, but inevitable end, to community members and Democratic officials who have been vocal on the partisan gerrymandering this map demonstrates.

“Tomorrow morning, students in Nassau County are going to wake up to a snow day, this legislative body is going to wake up to a lawsuit,” said Legislator Josh Lafazan, prior to the vote. “Our constituents lose tonight, and nobody wins.”

Before the evening vote, community members attended an afternoon hearing where many expressed their final pleas for the Nassau County Legislature to not approve the map.

Their concerns remain consistent: they claim the map fails to include five majority-minority districts, it violates state and federal voting laws, neglects to consider racial demographics and dilutes minority votes in communities such as Lakeview and Freeport.

Minority leader Kevan Abrahams called out his colleagues for choosing secrecy over transparency during the redistricting process, especially when it came to the legal fees for the analysis provided by Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP.

“We have the power and the authority tonight to do the right thing, unfortunately this map is going to go forward, and this body is choosing to vote for a map that is illegal,” Abrahams said in his last comments before the vote. “None of us want this, I’d rather things get worked out because ultimately the lawsuit is going to cost taxpayers money.”

With testimonies of legislators and community members in mind, Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello said numerous changes were made to the map to acknowledge this input. He also admitted not every request was addressed in the final proposal, but in the end, the district lines were considered fair and applicable to state and federal laws.

“Did we make every requested change? No. Is this map perfect? No — but perfection is impossible in redistricting,” Nicolello said. “This map is a fair map, it provides for equal representation for all our residents and protects community interests as much as possible.”