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Fair districts coalition proposes their own Ohio Congressional map

Activists with Fair Districts Ohio protested outside the Statehouse in October 2021. The following month, a Congressional map that experts say would favor Republicans in 12 of 15 Congressional districts was approved by Republicans and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine.
Karen Kasler
/
Statehouse News Bureau
Spectators make their positions known before a brief meeting outlining the Ohio Redistricting Committee's next steps in redrawing legislative map districts in Ohio.

State lawmakers have just over a week to redraw a new congressional district map after the previous plan was ruled unconstitutional.

State lawmakers have just over a week to redraw a new congressional district map after the previous plan was ruled unconstitutional.

The coalition, Fair Districts Ohio, is calling on elected officials to take a look at their proposed map.

Catherine Turcer, with Common Cause which is a part of Fair Districts Ohio, says their proposed map for 15 new congressional districts creates a plan that is fair and competitive.

"We want very clearly to provide a model map in a transparent way so that we can show the mapmakers that this is a way they can actually do it, and not just that to provide them something that they could actually start with," says Turcer.

The map proposed by Fair Districts Ohio would create 8 Republican and 7 Democratic districts. Four of those Democratic districts would be fairly competitive with what's effectively a toss-up district in Toledo.

The House and Senate must redraw the map to better reflect Ohio's voter preference by party.

The invalidated map gave Republicans an advantage in 80% of the districts.

The Ohio General Assembly has until the end of next week to approve a new map. But to enact it in time for the May primary, the House and Senate would need to pass it with an emergency clause which requires some Democrats to vote for the map as well.

If the General Assembly cannot pass a plan then the process goes back to the Ohio Redistricting Commission, where a four-year map can be enacted immediately without bipartisan support.

Contact Andy at achow@statehousenews.org.
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