gerrymandering
Huffman defends his maps, redistricting process despite no bipartisan support
State Senate President Matt Huffman defended decisions he and Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission made as they moved forward with a partisan, four-year redistricting plan for the state. Just after midnight on Thursday, maps filed under his name passed through the commission on a 5-2 party-line vote. The maps were only slightly different […]
Republican majority gerrymanders Ohio for another four years
With some using words like “disappointment” and “unease,” Republican majority members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission passed maps of General Assembly districts on Thursday heavily favoring GOP supermajorities that will last four years, if they make it through the courts. In a process that bypassed the midnight deadline by minutes, the commission split along party […]
Final public redistricting hearing brings no agreement
The day before the deadline for legislative redistricting efforts in Ohio, there were no indications that agreement on a map was close. In fact, in a public hearing held Tuesday at the Ohio Statehouse, some citizens conceded that an extension to the deadline could be beneficial, and some Ohio Redistricting Commission members agreed. “Yes, you […]
Dems bring new map to public hearing, public asks for more teamwork
Another long haul of testimony bookended the introduction of an new redistricting map for Ohio on Monday. The two Democratic legislators on the ORC, state Sen. Vernon Sykes and House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, brought up the House and Senate maps at the second of three public hearings for input on how legislative districts should […]
Public redistricting hearings begin again, torching of GOP map continues
As the public input process begins again for Ohio legislative redistricting, many participants at a Sunday night meeting in Dayton asked for new maps that balance ideologies in the state. The testimony at an auditorium at Washington Township RecPlex West went on for hours, with much of it mirroring the feelings of the Fair Districts […]
Redistricting Coalition pans GOP map, hopes for better result by deadline
A coalition of groups hoping to eliminate gerrymandering in the state called the Republican majority’s proposed map for district lines a “failure.” “This map fails disastrously in every way you could possibly measure it,” said Dr. David Niven, political science professor at the University of Cincinnati. The map was unveiled Thursday morning during one of […]
Commission accepts GOP redistricting map as ‘working document’
In a matter of a few hours, Ohio Republican leaders had introduced their proposal for legislative districts in the state, and that map had been accepted as a “working document” by the majority-Republican Ohio Redistricting Commission. Members of the GOP caucus, including staffer Ray DiRossi, who presented the Republican maps, blamed the lateness of census […]
Redistricting Commission to hold double-header Thursday
The Ohio Redistricting Commission could vote on a map in one of two meetings happening today at the Ohio Statehouse. The commission scheduled one meeting at 10 a.m. in the Finan Hearing Room, and another for 2 p.m. in the same room. On the agenda, the ORC said it “will meet to hear testimony on […]
Redistricting Commission adopts rules, Sept.1 deadline likely to pass without official map proposal
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, rules were adopted and a map was proposed. But the process is far from over. The map was submitted by the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus, and commission co-chair state Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, said the map was drawn without outside input and without vetting. He said the […]
‘Listening tour’ on redistricting ends, maps next step
Members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission ended their week in Mansfield as constituents continued to give input on legislative district map-drawing, and share their thoughts on the process. Throughout the week of two-a-day meetings, starting in Cleveland and winding through the state to Youngstown, Dayton, Cincinnati, Zanesville, Rio Grande, Lima, Toledo, Akron and Mansfield, commission […]
Here’s what you need to know about redistricting in Ohio
On Aug. 12, the U.S. Census Bureau provided the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico with population counts to use in their redrawing of the electoral district boundaries for representation in Congress, state legislatures, and many county and municipal offices — a process also known as “redistricting.” In Ohio, this process has […]
Redistricting commission starts work under rushed timeline
The Ohio Redistricting Commission had their first meeting Friday without much fanfare, and very little on the agenda, despite a squeezed timeline to get their work done. Gov. Mike DeWine called the commission, which oversees the redrawing of legislative and Congressional voting districts, to order and announced the appointment of members and transferred the rest […]