Republicans on the panel charged with drawing new Ohio House and Senate district maps said they will ignore an order from the Ohio Supreme Court to produce a sixth attempt at new maps by Monday.
The decision comes as the state gets ready for an August 2 primary for legislative districts after a federal court put in place maps ruled unconstitutional in March.
The Republican lawmakers appointed to replace Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) on the Ohio Redistricting Commission said it won’t reconvene to adopt new maps by Monday.
More: A timeline of Ohio's redistricting saga
Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) and Rep. Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Township) said in a letter and a statement to Democratic co-chair Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) that the Supreme Court can’t order the maps by a specific deadline, and that it would be confusing to voters to adopt new maps before the House and Senate primary on August 2.
That primary comes after a federal court ordered maps ruled unconstitutional in March be used this election cycle.
The panel’s two Democratic commissioners, Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Sykes, said in letters to LaRe they’ feel "deep disappointment" that the commission has failed and "violated its constitutional imperative to produce valid maps.
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