A coalition of community groups fighting against gerrymandering are renewing their call for "fair maps" as legislators look to draw new Congressional district maps just days after elected officials approved maps that retain a Republican supermajority in the state legislature.
Jen Miller, League of Women Voters of Ohio executive director, said they're calling for a transparent process while drawing Congressional district lines.
"Ultimately resulting in maps that serve voters and not the selfish, short-sighted interests of political parties or individual candidates," Miller said.
If this sounds familiar it's because elected officials just approved new state legislative districts that keep Republican supermajorities in place.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission voted 5-2 to adopt four-year maps last week that lean towards 62 Republican House seats and 37 Democratic House seats, and 23 Republican Senate seats compared to 10 Democratic Senate seats.
Fair Districts Ohio is holding a rally in the Trinity Episcopal Church this morning to speak against the House and Senate district maps approved by the Ohio Redistricting Commission…the maps retain a Republican supermajority pic.twitter.com/SzKxQS3PRh
— Andy Chow (@andy_chow) September 21, 2021
Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) defends the state legislative maps approved by the commission and said the final measures were the only maps that abided by the constitution. The groups that oppose the maps argue the districts do not follow the guidelines put in the constitution by voters through a ballot issue in 2015.
Miller said they're looking into a possible lawsuit against the state district maps.
There’s been no process announced how state lawmakers will draw the Congressional map, but it likely won’t be done till the end of November. The process will have to cut the number of Congressional districts from 16 to 15.
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