COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Redistricting Commission had its first of two hearings on congressional district map proposals Wednesday.
What You Need To Know
- The Ohio Redistricting Commission had its first of two hearings on congressional district map proposals
- The Ohio Supreme Court gave the commission until mid-March to adopt a new map
- The commission heard testimony from three people
The Ohio Supreme Court gave the commission until mid-March to adopt a new map, however, members are trying to get one enacted prior the March 4 filing deadline.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission hearing testimony from three people who submitted congressional map plans, with two presenting their work, including Catherine Turcer of Fair District Ohio.
The group’s “Model Map” favors Republicans in nine of the state’s 15 districts.
This is @OhFairDistricts map. It’s 9-6 R according to @CatherineTurcer but 8-7 “in a banner year.” @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/qJRp8xEpdg
— Josh Rultenberg (@JoshRultNews) February 23, 2022
“We were really focused on making sure that communities, as much as possible, were kept together and regions were kept together,” Turcer said.
The commission has to come up with a new plan because the Ohio Supreme Court said the previous map passed the General Assembly in November unfairly favored Republicans in at least 12 of the 15 districts.
Commission co-chairs House Speaker Robert Cupp, R-Lima, and State Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, liked parts of what the public offered.
“I don’t know that any whole map is something that would likely be adopted,” Cupp said.
Sykes said the information was good to see.
“We’ll take it under consideration,” Sykes said. “It gives us some ideas and also some persons that we can also use as reference and to help us as we deliberate on this issue.”
The commission will reconvene Thursday morning. Cupp would not say whether Republicans will present a congressional proposal.
Democrats would like a map favoring Republicans in 54% of districts which is how Ohioans have voted over the last 10 years.
Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said Republicans will introduce and potentially adopt an update state legislative plan also Thursday.
Democrats have not been involved in the process, so if a vote was taken, it would likely be along party lines resulting in four-year maps.
