The do-over is almost over.
The state commission that redraws General Assembly districts will meet on April 12 to vote on another preliminary reapportionment plan.
Let us hope that the legislative members of that commission have shed some of their political arrogance and present a districting plan that is something more reasonable than the blatant example of gerrymandering they approved the first time around.
There is apparently some disagreement among members of the commission, which is comprised of representatives of both parties, on this new preliminary plan, so a pessimist might jump to the conclusion that the next jigsaw puzzle may be as bad or only slightly improved from the last.
Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that it was the vote of one Republican justice on the state Supreme Court that forced the commission to revisit its work. Republicans hold a majority of four on the seven-member court, and it was one of them that sided with the three Democratic justices to throw out the original map.
No matter the outcome of this exercise, it will have no effect on the April 24 primary, since part of the court's ruling was that the primary would be based on the map that has been used since the 2000 census.
It is still important, however, since a new map would be in force for the 2012 General Election in November.