A Legislative Column from Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R,I,C – East Northport)

Every 10 years following the new Census results, the New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) is tasked with drawing new Assembly districts according to population shifts. The proposed state Assembly and Senate district lines were made public for the first time last week.

LATFOR consists of six members: three from the Assembly and three from the Senate. While I am not a member of the task force, I believe it is extremely important that my constituents stay informed.

I therefore encourage everyone to attend one of LATFOR’s many public hearings being held across our state. The schedule can be found on the task force’s website: http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/hearings/docs/20120125hrg_schedule.pdf. The first hearing took place on Monday, January 30 in Albany. I also encourage those interested in learning more about LATFOR and the proposed Assembly district lines to visit http://www.latfor.state.ny.us.

These public hearings provide an opportunity for average New Yorkers to share their concerns about future representation. In the first draft, for example, the Town of Huntington is divided into three Assembly districts. Instead of strengthening representation, we are diminishing. Instead of one representative putting their attention and focus onto Huntington there will be three representatives who worry about their little piece of the pie and not the whole.

Through our school districts, fire districts, library districts and dozens of community organizations, we have managed to maintain a wonderful sense of community and feeling of civic pride.  The Assembly district lines will undoubtedly fracture all that has been gained in the previous decades.  The proposed maps will take the current South Shore district 12 and stretch it all the way from Massapequa to Huntington Bay. These proposed maps will also take my current North Shore District 9 from Fort Salonga and stretch it all the way to Gilgo Beach. This careless lumping of the North Shore and South Shore will only create confusion. If you were to look up gerrymandering in the dictionary I’m confident you would find a photo of the new lines for what was once district 9 and is now district 12.

These lines, however, are merely the first draft of what I believe will be a long process; a process which I hope includes your input and opinions. I look forward to seeing the final product.