Koch blasts NY Legislature over new district lines

ALBANY -- Former New York Mayor Ed Koch says he's sure the state Legislature will soon unveil new election district lines that further protect majority party incumbents despite pledges lawmakers made in the last campaign to draw non-partisan lines.

Koch, who heads the NY Uprising group, says lawmakers in the Senate's Republican majority and the Assembly's Democratic majority have no credibility because of what he expects will be a flip-flop on the critical issue.

The majorities are expected to release their proposed district lines this week. If approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo or the courts, the new districts would be in place for the next 10 years.

Traditionally, majorities use redistricting to create districts stacked with their party's voters.

In 2010, nearly every state lawmaker pledged to reform the process this year.

AP-WF-01-25-12 2046GMT