Today’s Links
Articles:
Associated Press – Ohio Supreme Court scraps 2nd GOP-drawn congressional map
Columbus Dispatch – Redistricting: Ohio Supreme Court rejects congressional map used in May, orders new one
Cleveland.com – Ohio Supreme Court again rejects Republican congressional map, ordering redraw for 2024 election
Groups Taking Action: League of Women Voters OH, Fair Districts OH, Ohio Voter Rights Coalition
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
We’re headed back to Ohio today, where on July 19, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected another set of GOP-drawn Congressional district maps because they were gerrymandered for partisan gain.
You’ll remember that Ohio’s legislature had thrown up its hands and resubmitted a map previously rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court. The state was under pressure to get the maps in place for the Ohio primary on August 2nd, but now whatever maps are agreed upon will not be in force until 2024.
The Associated Press reports that the rejected map created 10 safe Republican seats and five Democratic seats. However, the high court’s majority said the latest map “packed” surrounding Democrats in three of the Democratic-leaning congressional districts, which diluted the Democratic voting power and strengthened Republican power around heavily-Democratic Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus.
The 4-3 decision by the Ohio high court cited the 2018 state constitutional amendment prohibiting partisan gerrymandering. GOP legislative leaders had said the rejected map was the best they could do, but the court included a fair model map in their opinion giving a representative share of seats to both parties.
The court gives the legislature 30 days from July 19th to come back with a fair map. If the legislature fails, it returns to Ohio’s redistricting commission.
Read the AP story and get connected with the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. Granny D said Democracy is not something we have, it’s something we DO. For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.