In 2018, Issue 1 would pass with a similar majority regarding congressional redistricting methods. After a protracted redistricting battle last year that saw Republicans adopt a relentless barrage of gerrymanders, only to have them repeatedly struck down by the state supreme court, Ohio must again draw new maps in advance of the 2024 elections. The remaining states comprised one congressional district each, rendering redistricting unnecessary. In two states, politician commissions drew the lines. In a vacuum, this compromise proposal is better than the status quo of GOP legislators having total control over the process. Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Ohio Redistricting Commission Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The state legislature would adopt a 10-year congressional redistricting plan with 60 percent of members in each chamber voting in favor and 50 percent of Republicans and 50 percent of Democrats (or whichever two parties have the most members in the legislature) voting in favor. (2) If the general assembly passes a congressional district plan under division (C)(1) of this section by the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members of each house of the general assembly, including the affirmative vote of at least one-third of the members of each of the two largest political parties represented in that house, and the plan becomes law, the plan shall remain effective until the next year ending in the numeral one, except as provided in Section 3 of this article. But Stephens is still in a position to at least change last years dynamic, if not soften the maps, if he so chooses. Voters need to know that casting a ballot is essential on both dates, not one or the other, the Secretary of State Frank LaRose's team and Board of Elections leaders, said. The following underlined text was added and struck-through text was deleted:[1]. 2 min read A redistricting delay of more than six months is impacting Ohio's primary election. Issue 1 took effect on January 1, 2021, and applied to congressional redistricting following the 2020 U.S. Census. Stephenss office also did not reply to requests for an interview. May 2018 Ohio Issue 1 - Wikipedia This is the entire plan. [1] [2] Voting yes would have increased minority party representation on Ohio's redistricting commission and established new requirements for district boundaries. Abortion Messaging Roils Debate Over Ohio Ballot Initiative. The filing dates for reports were as follows:[26]. Ohio Issue 1, Congressional Redistricting Procedures Amendment (May And what do you do with drunks? Of those 37, Connecticut and Maine required a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber in order to approve a redistricting plan. | Cities | Ohio voters pass redistricting reform initiative | The Hill People fear tyranny of the majority, what about tyranny of the minority! Voters considered ballot measures addressing election policy in 15 states in 2018. At this point, we need to actually take the elected officials out of the equation and put this in the hands of an independent insulated citizens commission., Federal Democrats mulled institutional protections against gerrymandering when they controlled Congress in 2021 and 2022, but those did not pass due to several senators opposition to changing the U.S. Senates filibuster rules. After the commission adopts a final plan, the commission shall promptly file the plan with the secretary of state. The three other Republican justices voted to sustain the maps but they were on the losing side of the repeated 4-3 decisions. He stated, "The legislature passed safeguards against one party using its control of the redistricting process to totally shellac the other, but it doesnt mean that lawmakers couldnt cut other kinds of bipartisan deals."[7]. Ohio voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that will reform the state's redistricting process, creating a mandate for bipartisanship in the decennial remapping process.. The people of Ohio, through a "citizens' initiative," can collect enough Ohioans' signatures to put any proposal on the ballot for a simple yes or no vote of the people. The coalition said proponents continued to collect signatures, however, as "insurance in case the May ballot measure isn't successful. [6] House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R-91) described Issue 1 as an historic compromise, stating, "We are showing across the nation, that here at least in Ohio, we still know what it means to compromise, to work across the aisle, to have adult conversations and actually do something for the citizens of our state. Those negotiations would become Issue 1, the proposal that would create the Ohio Redistricting Commission and prohibitions on partisan gerrymandering, but also allow a two-pronged method of passing maps: a 10-year plan approved only through bipartisan support, or a 4-year plan that could be passed by a simple majority. End the partisan process for drawing congressional districts, and replace it with a process with the goals of promoting bipartisanship, keeping local communities together, and having district boundaries that are more compact. [1], In 2015, voters approved Issue 1, which renamed the state legislative redistricting commission and increased its size from five members to seven members. Ohio does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. For media inquiries, contact us here. Elections in 2023 | I hope that were not, I hope Lucy does hold down that football, I hope that what comes out of this is positive movement away from the fringe extremes that our state legislature has been residing in for years. Even if he were to be interested in toning down gerrymandering, they said, he has his work cut out for him given the recent records of Ohios other Republican officials. Prior to Issue 1, only one seat was reserved for a member selected by a minority party leader. The full Ohio State Senate took up the proposal later on February 5, 2018, passing the measure in a bipartisan vote of 31 to 0 with two members not voting. End the partisan process for drawing congressional districts, and replace it with a process with the goals of promoting bipartisanship, keeping local communities together, and having district boundaries that are more compact. What is super clear to me is that the Ohio Constitution gives us the opportunity to tackle change if the state legislature is not willing to do so, Turcer said. Isnt that how the Ohio Redistricting Commission came to be? The redistricting process should unfold in a democratic way, which has not been our experience in Ohio., Joe Deters, the new justice who shifts the high court to the right. Deters and Pat DeWine faced ethics complaints and calls for investigation over this internship, but Deters defended the arrangement, insisting it was proper for him to do a favor for a friend. EXPLAINER: Ohio Redistricting - How did we get here? - Yahoo News January 12, 2023 In Ohio's Redistricting Redo, a New Justice and a New Speaker Will Steer the Ship Daniel Nichanian, It's Groundhog Day in Columbus. Issue 1 of 2015 created the seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission to draw state legislative districts, but not congressional districts. If adopted, Ohio will become a leader in creating meaningful, bipartisan redistricting reform. The Capital Journal combines Ohio state government coverage with incisive investigative journalism, reporting on the consequences of policy, political insight and principled commentary. School districts | But once they do, the GOPs odds of securing favorable rulings for its gerrymanders has shot up dramatically due to a new conservative justice. Ohio - All About Redistricting DeWine, 167 Ohio St.3d 499, 2022-Ohio-89.] Joe Deters has the right combination of experience, legal knowledge, and passion for public service that will serve the citizens of Ohio well, DeWine said. Ohio does not practice automatic voter registration. The proposed amendment would establish the Ohio Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission, consisting of 12 members, to be chosen as follows. Issue 1 enacted procedures that have the redistricting process begin in the. (D) The general assembly shall be responsible for making the appropriations it determines necessary in order for the commission to perform its duties under this article and Article XIX of this constitution. US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card, The voters name, which must substantially conform to the voters name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book. (C) At the first meeting of the commission, which the governor shall convene only in a year ending in the numeral one, except as provided in Sections 8 and 9 of this article and in Sections 1 and 3 of Article XIX of this constitution, the commission shall set a schedule for the adoption of procedural rules for the operation of the commission. A full list of locations is available here. Redistricting Reform Wins Big in Ohio - Brennan Center for Justice Should the state legislature fail to meet these vote requirements, then the seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission, established via. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. How to vote | The Republicans have shown us their hand every single time throughout the process. Section 2. (The leaders typically serve on the commission themselves.) Im cautiously pessimistic about a deal between the Ohio Democrats and Republicans, said Tims. Brickner did offer a critique of Issue 1, saying:[23], In the event that bipartisan compromise cannot be reached, the rules allow for more power to be wielded by the majority party. "[8] The ballot measures followed the U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous dismissal of the case Gill v. Whitford, which addressed the claim of partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Ohio just voted with unconstitutional maps. What comes next for The amendment would require that four members of the commission, including two commissioners from each of the two largest political parties represented in the legislature, approve the plan to enact the plan. State and local courts | (B)(1) Unless otherwise specified in this article or in Article XIX of this constitution, a simple majority of the commission members shall be required for any action by the commission. At least two new members were to be selected by legislative leaders representing the minority party. Big Ohio redistricting changes before 2024? Don't count on it, experts Ohio Legislators Will Head Back to Redistricting Drawing Board in 2023, But Without Maureen O'Connor to Worry About (Sort Of) Advocates are putting together a possible ballot measure, and. Its a matter of raising a ton of money, its a matter of getting everybody on the same page, Turcer said. The coalition stated, "SJR 5 would never have passed if it weren't for the nudge of more than 200,000 signatures."[41]. Putting things like redistricting reform in the hands of the voters, rather than in the hands of the legislature, is an important way of empowering voters to enact change themselves, advocates say. We need a balanced, independent commission that cares more about voters than anything else.. [11], The measure amended Section 1 of Article XI of the Ohio Constitution. Ohio Supreme Court Intensifies a Redistricting Map Standoff - The New Posted at 5:48 PM, May 02, 2022 and last updated 3:58 PM, May 02, 2022 COLUMBUS, Ohio The first of Ohio's two primary election days is Tuesday, May 3, making it unlike any primary in the. How was redistricting addressed across the U.S. in 2018? Should the commission fail to adopt a plan, the legislature would get a second opportunity to adopt a 10-year plan, but with a lesser requirement of one-third of the members from the two major parties supporting the proposal. To amend the version of Section 1 of Article XI that is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2021, and to enact Sections 1, 2, and 3 of Article XIX of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to establish a process for congressional redistricting. That would make it far harder for independent groups to secure wins over policies that the legislature fiercely opposes, such as abortion protections. be in compliance with the state and federal constitution; be in compliance with federal laws protecting the voting rights of racial minorities; create districts that are composed of contiguous area and district boundaries that are single nonintersecting continuous line; In counties with a population exceeding the number of residents to be in a congressional district, the first of the following two steps that applies to the county must be taken by the mapmakers: If a municipality located in a county contains a population exceeding the number of residents to be in a congressional district, then mapmakers would be required to include a significant portion of the municipality in the district and would be allowed to include other municipalities in the county whose residents have similar interests. She has also had work featured on National Public Radio. Ohios outgoing Speaker Bob Cupp played a very aggressive role in 2022 in controlling the mapmaking and in boxing other officials out of much of the process; legislative leaders wield special influence, especially over how their own chambers lines are redrawn. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal) To pass a 10-year redistricting plan, a 60 percent vote in each chamber and a one-third vote, rather than a 50 percent vote, of the two largest political parties in each chamber would be required. the plan cannot unduly favor or disfavor a political party or incumbents; the plan cannot unduly divide counties, townships, or municipal corporations; legislators must attempt to draw districts that are compact; and. Rep. Nino Vitale (R-85), one of 10 members of the state House to vote against referring Issue 1, said:[20]. In September 2021, the redrawing of voting districts that used to happen every 10 years began, in what became a two-year long battle between the elected officials who made up the Ohio Redistricting Commission and a slim majority of the Ohio Supreme Court. One might ask: Didnt we already reform the process? Overview: Ohio Redistricting Reform Proposal. Using data is a non-partisan way to determine how the lines should be drawn. (A)(1) Each congressional district shall be entitled to a single representative in the United States house of representatives in each congress. In 2017, Pat DeWine asked Deters to give his college-aged son an internship in the prosecutors office and Deters obliged, as Cincinnatis City Beat reported at the time. Issue 1 also gives mapmaking tools to the public so that Ohioans can better participate in the mapmaking process. [47], To register to vote in Ohio, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election. Congressional districts used in elections between 2012 and 2018 were developed by the Ohio General Assembly following the 2010 census. A congressional district plan adopted under this division shall take effect upon filing with the secretary of state and shall remain effective until the next year ending in the numeral one, except as provided in Section 3 of this article. Ohio government is already captured by radical special, Bipartisan opposition makes Ohio Republican August election,, The political strategy against Ohio abortion rights:. Ohio removes state races from May primary due to redistricting squabble The swing vote on the Ohio Supreme Court's 4-3 redistricting decisions, Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, leaves on Dec. 31 because of age limits on judges. The official ballot title was as follows: If passed, the amendment will become effective immediately. Mapmakers would be required to attempt to include at least one whole county in each congressional district. Ohioans will decide in the Aug. 8 election whether to support Issue 1, which would make it harder to amend the state constitution. "[6] The state Senate passed Issue 1 in a bipartisan vote of 31-0. Ensure a transparent process by requiring public hearings and allowing public submission of proposed plans. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The Ohio Redistricting Commission, if it met tomorrow, would consist of: the Governor, Auditor, Secretary of State, one person appointed by the Speaker, one appointed by the House minority leader, one appointed by the Senate President, and one appointed by the Senate minority leader. She asked them to sign a postcard that would later be mailed back . Ohio Bipartisan Redistricting Commission Amendment, Issue 1 (2015) 122 shares By Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland.com COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio is teed up for a political fight over ballot initiatives this summer, after Republican Ohio lawmakers voted last month. [1][10], Effective Date: when the ballot measure would take effect. If a district includes only part of an area of a particular county, then the part of that district would need to be contiguous within the county's boundaries. The commission shall adopt a final general assembly district plan not later than the first day of September of a year ending in the numeral one. In 2015, voting rights groups championed an amendment that put in place the system in use now but Republicans weaponized it in ways that advocates say was unintended. Republicans controlled the state Senate, state House, and governors office, thus holding a trifecta in state government. A congressional district plan passed under this division shall be drawn using the federal decennial census data or other data on which the previous redistricting was based. Ohio Issue 1, the Congressional Redistricting Procedures Amendment, was on the ballot in Ohio as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on May 8, 2018. Counties | But neither committed to a timeline for such a push. Redistricting splits Ohio primary ballots; here's who will be on each If you are aware of an editorial, please email it to editor@ballotpedia.org. (C)(1) If the Ohio redistricting commission does not adopt a plan not later than the last day of October of a year ending in the numeral one, then the general assembly shall pass a congressional district plan in the form of a bill not later than the last day of November of that year. Issue 1 made Ohio the first state to require a certain level of support from the two major parties to approve a congressional redistricting plan in the state legislature. Ohio Redistricting Commission passes new 4-year maps for legislative Issue 1 enacted the following process for congressional redistricting in Ohio: Issue 1 took effect on January 1, 2021, and applied to congressional redistricting following the 2020 U.S. Issue 1 resulted from negotiations between state Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, and the leaders of a committee involved in a redistricting initiative campaign. [11], Mike Brickner, senior policy director at the ACLU of Ohio, said the organization neither supported nor opposed Issue 1. The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 15, and the FRE is 20. Joe Deters will not be like Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, she added. Follow OCJ ReporterSusan Tebben on Twitter. The commission was designed to include the governor, auditor, secretary of state, one person appointed by the speaker of the House, one person appointed by the minority leader in the House, one person appointed by the president of the Senate, and one person appointed by the minority leader in the Senate. Ohio to vote on redistricting reform | The Hill [1][10], Should the Ohio Redistricting Commission fail to pass a plan, then the responsibility returns to the Ohio General Assembly, which would have until November 30 of the year ending in the numeral one, such as 2021, to pass a plan. The measure will appear on the May 8 ballot, when Ohio voters pick party nominees in a statewide primary. Ohio Capital Journal maintains editorial independence. Ohio Issue 1 includes bipartisan mapmaking and prevents the worst aspects of gerrymandering with rules that keep 65 Ohio counties together. Republican legislators shrewdly accepted that momentum was building against partisan gerrymandering, and this compromise is quite simply a way to blunt that momentum while preserving as much of their advantage as possible under a false veneer of bipartisanship. Federal courts | Still, Republican lawmakers ignored the courts rulings and ran out the clock by passing an endless stream of gerrymanders; eventually, a federal court allowed a set of maps drawn by the GOP to be used in the 2022 midterms only, helping solidify Republican supermajorities. Ohio's. gerrymandering 1:03 COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Ohio Supreme Court won't decide whether a Republican-crafted congressional district map violates anti-gerrymandering rules in the Ohio Constitution until after. Republicans adopted a congressional redistricting plan with the support of 4 of 50 legislative Democrats (8 percent).[2]. Meetings shall be broadcast by electronic means of transmission using a medium readily accessible by the general public. The plan would be passed as a bill. Republican state lawmakers and the GOP elections chief urgently advanced the proposal as an abortion rights question was working its way toward the ballot this fall. But the cast of characters who will steer the process got reshuffled last week, with twonewcomers set to play influential roles. The proposed amendment would: If passed, the amendment will become effective immediately. The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the next election. If bipartisan mapmaking breaks down, the rules actually get tougher: 1) the plan cannot unduly (dis)favor a political party or its incumbents; 2) the plan may not unduly split governmental units; 3) the legislature must attempt to draw compact districts, and 4) the legislature must provide a written justification for the new congressional map. [2] Article XI of the Ohio Constitution, entitled Apportionment, consisted of 15 sections that detailed the redistricting process. Ohio Redistricting Commission members are up for reelection Susan Tebben is an award-winning journalist with a decade of experience covering Ohio news, including courts and crime, Appalachian social issues, government, education, diversity and culture. The Utah Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether a congressional map drawn to dilute Democratic votes is subject to judicial review, or a political issue beyond its reach. Bolts is a non-profit newsroom that relies on donations, and it takes resources to produce this work. A voter at the ballot maker machine during the Ohio primary election, May 3, 2022, at the Noor Islamic Cultural Center, Dublin, Ohio.
