Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch likes what he heard this morning on the radio.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made his most unambiguous declaration yet on the subject of redistricting. If LATFOR draws the lines, they're getting vetoed, he told Capitol Pressroom's Susan Arbetter.

"Governor Cuomo is absolutely right: LATFOR is not an independent commission, and therefore obviously incapable of producing an independent redistricting map. Indeed, its purpose is exactly the opposite," Mr. Koch said.

Redistricting is the state's process of redrawing its political boundaries to account for shifts in population. Northern New York state Senate, Assembly and congressional districts, for example, have to add more residents because of relative population decline.

Mr. Cuomo wants an independent panel to oversee the process, but Senate Republicans have so far balked at passing legislation that would create the panel, despite a promise to Mr. Koch that they would do so. LATFOR is what we have now, and it's made up of current lawmakers, who do little more than draw the lines to protect incumbents and majority parties, critics argue.

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