Republican-Led Commission Denies Ohioans Real Input

For Immediate Release: 
October 28, 2021

Contact:
Brooke Lillard
lillard@redistrictingaction.org

Columbus, OH - Today, the Republican-controlled Ohio Redistricting Commission hosted its one and only public “hearing” about the state’s new congressional map after giving the public fewer than 48 hours’ notice. The Commission did not allow all members of the public to testify and the “hearing” occurred just four days before October 31, the day by which the state constitution requires it to adopt a 10-year bipartisan map.

Earlier this week, Commission co-chair House Speaker Bob Cupp said that the body would not officially propose or adopt a final congressional map. The Commission limited testimony to only those people or organizations who submitted a proposed congressional plan. By the time of the hearing there were just 40 entries on a map that will impact 11.8 million Ohioans. Under this rule, none of the five Republican Commissioners were permitted to testify since they have yet to propose a map. In today’s hearing, although dozens of Ohioans filled the room, only three individuals and two organizations provided testimony. 

“It is an insult to Ohioans that all the Republican-controlled Commission can muster is one single sham hearing that took place at a time when most Ohioans have to go to work and that limited participation to only those who had previously submitted maps. It’s clear they’re afraid to hear what Ohioans have to say,” said Katy Shanahan, All On The Line Ohio State Director. “This flies in the face of what Ohioans demanded in our 2018 reform and it ignores what the state constitution requires. This is political theatrics at its worst.”

“We started this week with Republicans announcing that they’re going to miss yet another constitutional deadline and that the Commission wouldn’t even create a draft congressional map, let alone vote on one. And we’re ending the week with the Commission performatively gathering to hear from only an extremely limited group on maps the Commission has already stated they will not consider nor vote to adopt,” Shanahan continued. 

“What we saw today were dozens of Ohioans who put gas in their tanks, took time off work, paid for parking, and scrambled to get childcare on short notice, but most of whom were denied the chance to even be heard. It’s an outrage,” said Shanahan.

The Commission will formally disband on Sunday night and our congressional process will move back into the hands of the Ohio legislature. All On The Line remains vigilant in our efforts to demand transparency in the map-making process and to organize for the fair maps that Ohio deserves.

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