After numerous delays on Wednesday, reporters were told LATFOR’s Senate and Assembly lines would likely be released sometime around noon yesterday.

Then came word from the executive chamber that Gov. Andrew Cuomo had scheduled a closed-door cabinet meeting in the Capitol’s Red Room at noon, and would hold a Q&A with reporters after the get-together.

Suddenly, LATFOR’s planned released was pushed back again to sometime around 2 p.m. – in other words, sometime after Cuomo finished chatting with the press.

This was handy for the governor, because it saved him from having to get down in the weeds on the subject of the legislative lines. Instead he could simply say that he hadn’t yet seen the plan and discuss in general terms his desire to let the process play out.

Later, Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto issued a statement reiterating Cuomo’s veto pledge. But the governor himself never utter the so-called “v word” during his lengthy and wide-ranging discussion with the LCA.

Assemblyman Jack McEneny, LATFOR’s co-chair, told me on CapTon last night that the release was deliberately delayed “because we wanted (Cuomo) to have his press conference and focus on the issues rather than be into minor differences out of 213 possible districts.”

“It seemed to make sense and frankly we could use the time to make sure everything was fed in properly,” the assemblyman continued.

When I pressed McEneny on whether Cuomo had specifically requested the delay, he replied:

“I have no idea why, but as a courtesy to the governor, he was more comfortable having the lines come out after.”

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