Ohio Redistribution Commission approves new state legislative maps that maintain Republican majority majority despite anti-gerrymandering reforms

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Republicans have approved new state legislative maps that should allow them to maintain their veto-proof majority in the Ohio House and Senate, leaving it without Democratic votes, putting in place the cards to be redrawn in four years as part of the new redistribution of the Ohio rules.

The new districts would likely allocate 62 of the 99 House seats and 23 of the 33 Senate seats to Republicans, Senate Speaker Matt Huffman said on Wednesday. Democrats agreed with the Senate projection, but said the maps actually created 65 Republican House districts, an analysis corresponding to Dave’s Redistricting App, a popular website. Anything over 60 House seats and 20 Senate seats is a veto-proof qualified majority.

(Click here for a detailed view of the House maps and here for the Senate districts.) Here are the maps:

Five Republicans on the committee voted for the cards, while two Democrats voted against, approving them early Thursday morning, shortly after midnight. Had the commission secured Democrat support, the cards would remain in effect for 10 years under Ohio’s new redistribution rules. But since they didn’t, they will expire after four years.

Two Republicans who cast decisive votes on Wednesday, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Governor Mike DeWine, have both suggested the cards could be ruled unconstitutional. Ohio’s new rules require the cards to be politically proportionate to the results of recent votes. They also say the lines should not favor any political party.

Districts would give Republicans a significantly higher proportion of seats than recent statewide vote totals – in the past 10 years, Republicans have won 54% of the vote in 16 federal and non-judicial races contested statewide over the past decade.

The official Republicans’ statement that accompanied the card claimed that because Republicans won 13 of the 16 statewide elections – 81% of the elections – it justified winning between 54% and 81% of the seats. In other words, they caught the word “results” in the new constitutional language.

Several commissioners have said they expect the cards to find their way to court quickly. The Ohio Supreme Court would hear all lawsuits, which are virtually guaranteed. The court is split 4-3, with Republicans holding a slim majority, but Republican Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor could hold a deciding vote, given her legal background. The court has the option of ordering changes to the maps or rejecting them outright if they find them too flawed or politically disproportionate.

“I felt throughout this process that the committee could have produced a clearer constitutional bill. This is not the bill we have in front of us, ”DeWine said.

DeWine later added, “I’m not judging the bill one way or the other. It is up to a court to do so.

LaRose said he was voting to adopt the cards “with great discomfort.”

“I’m afraid we’ll be back in this room very soon.” This map has many shortcomings, but they are pale compared to the shortcomings of this process, ”said LaRose.

But Huffman described the cards as a relative compromise. He said he gave multiple Republican seats over an earlier Republican plan and incorporated public comment. He released a statement after the meeting suggesting Democrats oppose the cards due to pressure from outside Democrat-aligned redistribution groups.

“It brings us much closer to the Democratic plan that has been presented,” Huffman said.

Both Democrats on the cutting commission complained bitterly about the process and the resulting cards. Minority House Leader Emilia Sykes and her father Senator Vernon Sykes both said they rejected the new cards on Tuesday when they were released privately. Democrats have come up with their own plans, the most recent of which would likely have awarded Republicans 57 House seats and 20 Senate seats.

“I am just stunned by the arrogance of the qualified majority which has such a contempt for people today,” said Vernon Sykes.

“I consider it offensive and completely wrong to put forward this card (…)

Republican observers expected the Ohio Redistribution Commission to approve four-year maps, not expecting legislative leaders to make significant concessions to reach a deal with Democrats. But the past few days have brought behind-the-scenes negotiations between two Republicans on the commission – state auditor Keith Faber and LaRose – and the Sykes. DeWine entered the process on Wednesday, pushing for a bipartisan deal, which he said would be worth missing the deadline if necessary.

Voting rights groups quickly issued statements describing the new cards and the process leading up to them.

“The Ohio Redistribution Commission missed a momentous opportunity to restore confidence in our democratic republic,” said Jen Miller of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. “The people of Ohio passed a redistribution reform in 2015 and 2018 with over 70% of the vote, then came out in droves to advocate for a transparent, two-party process that would result in fair and representative maps. . Instead, the Ohioans got the same thing: a breakdown in the bipartisan process and cards that serve the short-sighted interests of political parties, not voters. Ohioans deserve better.

The Equal Districts Coalition, a coordinating group of largely progressive and Democratic-affiliated organizations, issued a statement condemning the cards.

“Several organizations are currently preparing to bring clearly unconstitutional legislative cards to court, as it is clear that Republican commissioners have made no attempt to meet Ohio’s constitutional demands,” the group statement said.

Voters endorsed the new process via constitutional amendments in 2015 and 2018 with the aim of tackling political gerrymandering and encouraging more bipartisan cooperation in shaping legislative maps. This is the first year it has been used and the process has not gone well, something several Republican commissioners also complained about at Wednesday’s meeting.

First, state officials did not receive U.S. census data until August 11, nearly five months late due to coronavirus-related delays from the federal government. Then, Republican legislative leaders missed the September 1 deadline to present a card to the public. They also missed a September 1 deadline to approve the card, although the new system includes an extended September 15 deadline for such a scenario.

When Republicans presented a map last week, they unveiled a proposal that would likely give them even more seats – around 67 of 99 House seats and 25 of 33 Senate seats – slightly more than they have. currently.

LaRose accused some members of the commission of failing to act in good faith during the negotiations. He declined to say who he was referring to afterwards.

Faber said he plans to come up with changes to the system. He complained that non-legislative members of the commission did not have the same resources, leading lawmakers to control the process. He also said he believed a deal would have been more possible if legislative leaders had focused on finding solutions rather than maintaining their negotiating positions.

“It has been an interesting process. To say that it turned out as I expected would not only be an exaggeration, but a big disappointment, ”he said.

Faber was less critical of the cards themselves, although he said he hoped for a bipartisan deal. He pointed out that they have created around 25 competitive districts, unlike other less competitive proposals.

“When you draw cards, you have to spread the disappointment,” Faber said. “I’ll tell you there is some disappointment in the way the counties are divided, especially in Northwestern Ohio. However, the reality is that compared to other cards we have had a choice with, this card is not that bad. It’s not that good either.