The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 5, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
After three chaotic years with a politician-led commission and an anti-voter legislature failing to produce Ohio redistricting maps without gerrymandering, a ballot measure proposing a citizen-led redistricting commission will likely be put to the voters in November.
The Citizens Not Politicians campaign hopes to replace a redistricting commission which included the governor and party leadership, with an all-citizen independent commission. The current experiment lasted only six years, but long enough to further entrench GOP incumbents for a veto-proof majority in the state House and Senate. The GOP holds 10 of 15 Congressional seats, garnering only 54% of the vote.
When maps were vetoed by the Ohio Supreme Court based on the state constitution’s provision that, QUOTE “No general assembly district plan shall be drawn primarily to favor or disfavor a political party,” the responsibility for drawing maps ping-ponged between the commission and the state legislature.
Citizens Not Politicians proposes a 15-member citizen commission of Republicans, Democrats and independents, none of whom can be current or former politicians or lobbyists.
It forbids redistricting for partisan advantage – gerrymandering – and requires a fully transparent process. Organizers needed 413,000 voter signatures from 44 counties. They submitted over 731,000 signatures from 57 counties.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose, no friend to either fair redistricting or ballot initiatives, must now validate the signatures.
We’ve linked to the ballot measure and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Ohio Legislative Budget Office/Office of Research & Drafting – Briefing on Ohio’s Legislative Redistricting Process
Common Cause – THE FIGHT FOR FAIR MAPS: A HISTORY OF OHIO’S REDISTRICTING PROCESS
Center for American Progress – Ohio votes under ‘extreme’ gerrymandering that favors Republicans
Citizens Not Politicians – Summary of Ballot Measure Proposal
Citizens Not Politicians – Full Test of Ballot Measure Proposal
Statehouse News Bureau – Ohio redistricting issue likely this fall as group turns in more signatures than needed
Ohio Capital Journal – Ohio redistricting reform group submits more than 731,000 signatures, sets sights on November
Groups Taking Action:
Citizens Not Politicians, Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause Ohio, League of Women Voters OH, Fair Districts Ohio, Indivisible Central Ohio, People Not Politicians Ohio
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