Apologies if you thought this was about Texas..
ALBANY - A federal judge, in a strongly worded report, said Albany County's redistricting plan is discriminatory, violates the Voting Rights Act and is recommending this year's legislative races be put on hold until new lines are drawn.
U.S. Magistrate David Homer sided with the Arbor Hill Concerned Citizens Neighborhood Association, the NAACP and others in stating the county should have included a fourth legislative district where the majority of the population is made up of minorities.
"Thus, plaintiffs have proven their claim that by failing to create a fourth majority/minority district, the county plan dilutes the vote of blacks and Hispanics in the county," he wrote.
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The county attorney's office would not comment. County Executive Michael Breslin was not in the office when the decision came down late Monday afternoon.
In his decision, Homer did recognize the chaos it could cause the political wheels that have been in motion since the petition process began on June 3. But, he said, "the interests of plaintiffs in obtaining equal voting rights in the county outweigh the interests of defendants in avoiding disruption of the ongoing electoral process."
He further defended his recommendation because there is "beyond a preponderance of the evidence that there exists a substantial likelihood that plaintiffs will prevail on the merits of their Voting Rights Act claim at the trial of this case."
http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=9419505&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=7021&rfi=6