Gov. John Kasich says he’s willing to step in to help Republican lawmakers and citizens’ groups work out a deal on drawing Ohio’s Congressional map-drawing process.
Hours before talks broke down last night, Kasich said at a forum for reporters that any plan must have minority party input. But he suggested the citizens’ groups opposing the lawmakers’ plan may be just trying to turn out voters for their November ballot issue. “If these districts are not more competitive, then you either go hard right or hard left and we all lose in the end," Kasich said. "So hopefully, they will work something out here, and the outside forces won’t win because I think some of them want to block any success here.”
Kasich also said he’d be willing to convene a meeting between lawmakers and the citizens’ groups if asked.
