[ad_1]
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Republicans approved new state legislative maps early Thursday morning that should allow them to maintain their veto-proof majority in the Ohio House and Senate, without a vote democrat.
It sets up the maps to be redrawn in four years according to the new redistribution rules of Ohio.
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.
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.
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.
But two Republicans who cast decisive votes, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Governor Mike DeWine, 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.
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.
Ohio Senate Speaker Matt Huffman described the cards as a relative compromise. He said he gave multiple Republican seats over an earlier Republican plan and incorporated public comment.
[ad_2]
Source link