The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 15, 2023
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.
With 70% of the vote in 2018, Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting partisan gerrymandering. The state’s redistricting commission and legislature ignored it, and gerrymandered the voting district maps anyway. Citizens are now trying to fix what the politicians won’t.
WOSU reports that democracy groups are preparing a 2024 citizen ballot initiative to overhaul Ohio’s redistricting commission. The current seven-member commission is composed of the governor, state auditor, secretary of state and members appointed by the Senate and House majority and minority leaders – all politicians. The commission produced four sets of maps, all rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court as partisan gerrymanders. Mapmaking then reverted to the Ohio General Assembly, which also failed to produce fair maps. A gerrymandered map was used for the 2022 elections.
The 2024 constitutional amendment is entitled “An amendment to replace the current politician-run redistricting process with a citizen-led commission required to create fair state legislative and congressional districts through a more open and independent system.”
The details of the proposal aren’t yet available, but in addition to its partisan nature, experts say the current system failed because of the lack of an enforcement mechanism, and no clear direction on whose maps were the final authority.
We have resources on how other citizen-run state redistricting commissions work at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Ohio Capital Journal – (2022) Public awaits more redistricting work, but new law gives court little leeway to force it
Ohio Capital Journal – (2022) Discussions underway to propose new redistricting reform to Ohio voters
WOSU – Groups gathering signatures to get citizen-led statewide redistricting commission on the 2024 ballot
Ohio Redistricting Commission – What the Commission Does
Ohio Redistricting Commission – Public Comments
Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission – FAQ Page
California Independent Redistricting Commission – FAQ Page
BallotPedia – States with Redistricting Commissions
Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause Ohio, League of Women Voters OH, Fair Districts Ohio, Indivisible Central Ohio
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #OhioPolitics