Ohio Map Drawers Are Set To Flout Constitution, Miss Yet Another Redistricting Deadline
For Immediate Release:
September 30, 2021
Contact:
Brooke Lillard
lillard@redistrictingaction.org
Columbus, OH - Today, the Ohio Legislature is set to fail to meet its deadline of September 30th to adopt a congressional map. The Republican legislative leaders will have failed to even propose a plan, let alone hold the constitutionally-required public input hearings that would have ensured Ohioans’ voices are heard in the mapmaking process. This will mark the third straight constitutional redistricting deadline Ohio’s map drawers have missed.
“Ohioans now find ourselves experiencing a bout of déjà vu as map drawers are set to miss yet another constitutional deadline,” said Katy Shanahan, Ohio State Director for All On The Line. “Our Constitution isn’t just a set of aspirations - it’s the law of the land and it needs to be followed. An open, transparent, and on-time congressional redistricting process is what we demanded in our reform measure in 2018 and is what our Constitution requires. It seems the Republicans have no interest in fulfilling their duties to uphold a fair process, to show us their maps, or to listen to our input - that’s unacceptable,” Shanahan continued.
As of this release, there are 45 congressional maps submitted by members of the public, advocacy organizations, and the Senate Democratic Caucus. Each of these maps is based on the 2020 Census data. This comes in stark contrast to the Republican legislative leadership who continues to rely on a bunk excuse that the delay in receiving data from the Census Bureau makes it impossible to meet constitutional deadlines.
“It’s clear that Ohioans are ready for fair maps and many of them have already done the work for our mappers by drawing and submitting their own proposals for review,” Shanahan said. “These proposed maps are a great starting point for community-led conversation about how best to serve Ohioans under new district lines. Now we need public hearings so we can share our thoughts. There’s no time to waste.”
All On The Line will continue to organize Ohioans from every corner of the state to engage in each step of the redistricting process and to demand that it and the maps that come out of it live up to the promise of our reforms and the letter of the law.
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