COLUMBUS — The commission charged with redrawing the state’s legislative district maps has voted along partisan lines to use a proposed GOP map as the starting point for three days of public testimony.
Republican lawmakers proposed their version of a map Thursday, drawing immediate criticism that it maintains Ohio’s gerrymandered districts or in some cases made them worse.
Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters blasted the map, which she called a “sham.”
“These maps are not only unacceptable, they’re offensive to Ohioans who voted overwhelmingly twice for fair representation. Ohioans are tired of politicians choosing their voters rather than the other way around,” Walters wrote in a statement.
The effort complies with the constitutional amendment, overwhelmingly passed by voters in 2015, that changed how Ohio’s 99 House and 33 Senate districts are drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission.
Even Ohio’s Republican elections chief, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, said the map needs substantial work but Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima), a member of the commission, defended them
“These new maps for the Ohio General Assembly are constitutional and compliant with Ohio law…I’m optimistic the Commission will consider these maps as a lawful and reliable path forward for the next decade,” he said.
The map-drawing process was hindered by delays in U.S. Census data used for drawing new district maps, Huffman said.
“There is still time for the commission to take Ohioans’ concerns into consideration and work to adopt fair 10-year state legislative maps by September 15. I certainly hope it will,” Sen. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) said.
The commission set hearings Sunday in Dayton, Monday in Cleveland and Tuesday in Columbus before another vote Sept. 15.