Activists: Unite City of Albany in the Redistricting Process

By Dave Lucas

Albany, NY – The impending shifting of legislative district lines is raising many questions across New York, particularly in Albany, where activists are calling for the city to be "unified" in one district. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports...

Albany Common Councilman Anton Konev -- who is also a staffer for Democratic Assemblyman Peter Rivera of the Bronx -- testified Thursday before the state redistricting task force, arguing the city should no longer be split between two Assembly districts. Several laws regulate the redistricting process; one of them is the Voting Rights Act that prohibits the dilution of minority voters in order to impede their ability to elect a candidate of their choice.

Jack McEneny is one of two Assemblymen representing Albany under a system set up under the 1990 census - which combined downtown Albany and downtown Troy - the pattern was replicated in the 2000 Census - Community leaders throughout Albany, including representatives of the NAACP are calling for their city to be "reunited" - Ron Canestrari represents the heavily minority neighborhoods of Arbor Hill, The South End, and West Hill - he backs the existing district lines.

Albany community leaders are calling for the city to be "reunited" - Jack McEneny explains that they feel the black and minority community in general would be better represented by redrawing the lines. Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, points out that the goal in redistricting is to create a set of lines that a reflect a fair representation of where people live and how they interact, factoring income, home ownership vs. renting and the use of public transit.

Ron Canestrari emphasizes that the redistricting process is a complicated one that must be accomplished by the next election for state legislature in 2012. Maps will eventually be drawn: hearings will be heard on the proposed maps: the legislature then votes on a redistricting bill, which then goes to Governor Andrew Cuomo for his approval.