Queens has emerged as a key locale in the redistricting war between Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature.<\/p>\n
Under the proposed lines released last week, four Queens lawmakers would be merged into two districts and a powerful Democrat would be gerrymandered out of his district.<\/p>\n
Another Democrat saw his district oddly reconfigured to include more Republican-leaning neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s clear that Senate Republicans are targeting Queens because it’s a Democratic county,\u201d said state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria). \u201cThis is the result of a process we have been criticizing for a year.\u201d<\/p>\n
A hearing on the proposed lines will take place next Tuesday at Queens Borough Hall. The legislature and Gov. Cuomo must then approve the changes.<\/p>\n
Republicans, who hold the majority in the state Senate, have said the proposed lines are the best way to address population shifts recorded in the 2010 Census.<\/p>\n
But redistricting efforts have traditionally been mired in political battles.<\/p>\n
Gianaris, who also serves as chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, took a direct hit of sorts. The new lines pushed his Astoria home into the district of his Democratic colleague, state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst).<\/p>\n
State Sens. Toby Stavisky and Tony Avella found themselves drawn into the same district.<\/p>\n
Bay Terrace was removed from Avella’s 11th District and moved into Stavisky’s 16th District, which is being touted as the new Asian-American majority district.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeanwhile everything else surrounding Bay Terrace is still in my district,\u201d Avella said. \u201cCommunity leaders there don’t want to be an isolated pocket all to itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asian-American advocates were not totally unhappy with the proposal.<\/p>\n
Jerry Vattamala, staff attorney for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the group was pleased that lawmakers saw the need to create an Asian-American majority Senate district in Queens.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think it can be drawn better but we are happy they recognized it,\u201d said Vattamala.<\/p>\n
State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr.’s district now runs from parts of Jamaica Estates down to the Rockaways, giving it an unusual jagged shape resembling a Transformers action toy.<\/p>\n
They took away parts of Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood and Ozone Park and put in the more Republican-friendly neighborhoods of Broad Channel and Rockaway.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve long advocated for keeping communities together,\u201d said Addabbo, noting that<\/p>\n
there would be four senators representing Forest Hills.<\/p>\n
Read more: http:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/new-york\/queens\/proposed-redistricting-lines-target-queens-democrats-article-1.1015570#ixzz1lFgSAWWm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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