COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The panel overseeing the redrawing of Ohio’s legislative districts for the coming decade is traveling the state this week to gather citizen input on what the maps should look like.
The first of nine public hearings hosted by the new Ohio Redistricting Commission kicks off Monday morning in Cleveland. An afternoon forum takes places in Youngstown.
Co-chairs Democratic Sen. Vernon Sykes and Republican House Speaker Bob Cupp said the meetings will give Ohioans the chance to contribute their ideas through testimony and maps.
Sykes said it’s important for residents of the state, which has 33 state senators and 99 state representatives, to have a say in the process.
“Ohioans played a crucial role in increasing transparency when they voted in 2015 and 2018 to reform the way we draw our statewide maps,” Sykes said in a release. “I look forward to hearing what Ohioans have to say during our hearings and taking their input into consideration when creating maps that best represent voters’ preferences.”
The new system, which is meant to fight partisan gerrymandering, requires the independent commission to finish redrawing legislative districts by Sept. 1, a feat they have admitted will be difficult to impossible. Maps loaded with the new Census data are still being assembled by experts at Ohio University.
It sets a Sept. 30 deadline for the General Assembly to complete a new map of the state’s congressional districts, which will be reduced from 16 to 15 as a result of lagging population growth. The new commission would only get involved if state lawmakers cannot come to an agreement.
Monday’s hearing starts at 9:30 a.m. at Cleveland State University’s Student Center. Commissioners head from there to Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley Center for a second hearing at 2:30 p.m. That schedule continues through Friday, as follows:
—Tuesday: Sinclair Community College in Dayton, 9:30 a.m.; University of Cincinnati, 2:30 p.m.
—Wednesday: Ohio University-Zanesville’s Campus Center, 9:30 a.m.; Rio Grande Community College, 2:30 p.m.
—Thursday: Ohio State University-Lima’s Life Science Building, 9:30 a.m.; University of Toledo, 2:30 p.m.
—Friday: University of Akron, 9:30 a.m.; Ohio State University-Mansfield’s Riedel Hall, 2:30 p.m.
All public hearings will also be broadcast live. Additional hearings will be scheduled to gather input on a proposed map, once the commission has that ready.
Member of the commission are Sen. Sykes; Cupp; House Democratic Leader Emilia Sykes; Republican Senate President Matt Huffman; and Gov. Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Auditor Keith Faber, all Republicans.
