legislative redistricting
Even before office move is complete, Ohio Sec. of State LaRose appears to blur ethical lines
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose last week recorded a campaign interview that appeared to take place in the building where he is moving his taxpayer-funded state offices. LaRose didn’t respond to questions, but the backdrop of the interview seemed to preclude the possibility that it was set in any other building. It’s unclear whether […]
Ohio Redistricting Commission kicks off regional hearings
The Ohio redistricting commission met in Deer Creek State Park Friday to discuss the latest version of General Assembly district lines. The proposal, introduced by Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, would maintain durable supermajorities for the GOP in both chambers. The party’s advantage, according to GOP mapmakers themselves, would likely give them control of 62% of […]
Ohio Redistricting Commission selects GOP working map, sets public hearings
The Republican members of Ohio’s redistricting commission set aside their bickering long enough to introduce a new legislative map Wednesday. Despite objections from Democrats on the panel, Republicans adopted their plan as the commission’s working document. The maps’ partisan breakdowns are 62-37 GOP-to-Democratic in the Ohio House and 23-10 in the Senate. The commission briefly […]
Former U.S. attorney general warns of Ohio legislative attempts to cut court power
Some state legislatures are working to diminish the power of courts, imperiling the American system of checks and balances, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder wrote Tuesday. He used Ohio as exhibit A. Holder, attorney general under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2015, warned of an “alarming pattern” in an op-ed published by the […]
Deadline for new redistricting plan comes without action
The Ohio Supreme Court gave the Ohio Redistricting Commission until Friday to adopt a new legislative plan for the sixth time. No meetings were scheduled, and no maps have been seen or publicly announced. As of Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for the House Republicans said “nothing has been decided.” Commission rules state that 24-hours notice […]
Justice DeWine may have a conflict, but he calls his colleagues “rogue”
In a case that might be seen as throwing stones from a glass house, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine earlier this month tore into four of his colleagues when he wrote a dissenting opinion. “With each iteration of these cases, it becomes more evident that a rogue majority is simply exercising raw political power,” […]
LaRose says Dems might wreck election integrity, touts Trump, who’s suspected of election fraud
Ohio’s top elections official on Sunday tweeted that if Democrats win in Ohio they might undermine secure elections. Then he boasted of an endorsement from someone who is himself under investigation for possible election fraud. It might demonstrate the needle Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is trying to thread as he runs on a […]
How much a map costs: one law firm accounts for 1/3 of redistricting expenses
As lawmakers consider their next move on redistricting, the overall cost has ballooned to nearly $1.8 million, according to an accounting through April 19 provided by the Legislative Services Commission. The bulk of that expense has been charged to the Legislative Task Force on Redistricting, which has accounted for $983,283 going back to August of […]
Ohio Supreme Court rejects legislative maps, sets fifth redistricting deadline
The Ohio Supreme Court turned away a fourth set of redistricting plans from the Ohio Redistricting Commission in a 4-3 decision on Thursday, but left the responsibility with the commission to redraw the maps yet again. In a separate announcement, the court also denied requests to hold commissioners in contempt of court for violating court […]
Ohio Secretary of State says he didn’t call for Supreme Court chief’s ouster
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Tuesday denied that he had called for the impeachment of Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor after she had repeatedly ruled against LaRose and the rest of her fellow Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission. LaRose’s comments come four days after he told a group of Union […]
LaRose would ‘be fine with’ chief justice’s impeachment over redistricting rulings
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Friday said he “certainly wouldn’t oppose it” if the legislature impeached Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor over her joining in rulings rejecting GOP-generated maps for Congress and the legislature, according to a recording of a breakfast meeting with Union County Republicans. LaRose, who is not a […]
Michigan — yes, Michigan — may hold the solution to Ohio’s future redistricting problems
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Ohio and Michigan have one of the most famous state rivalries […]