Equal Districts Coalition Condemns Unconstitutional Legislative District Maps
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2021
Contact:
Rachel Coyle, 419-351-5844, coyle@innovationohio.org
Katy Shanahan, 614-372-6980, shanahan@redistrictingaction.org
COLUMBUS — Today, the Equal Districts Coalition — a unified group of 30+ Ohio advocacy organizations and unions engaged in the 2021 redistricting process — condemned the Republican members of Ohio’s redistricting commission for voting to adopt blatantly unconstitutional legislative maps. The coalition committed to doubling down on challenging this overt Republican power grab in every arena.
“Ohioans voted in massive numbers for a transparent redistricting process and fair maps. Republicans delayed the process, held hearings in the middle of the workday, and drew unconstitutional maps in secret. Their disrespect for Ohioans is disgusting,” said Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio. “Thank goodness Leader Sykes and Senator Sykes stood firm and refused to vote for this sham. This fight is not over.”
Because the Democratic commissioners refused to vote for unconstitutional maps, the maps will be implemented for only four years. Mapmakers will repeat the redistricting process again in 2025, drawing districts that will last the rest of the decade.
The new maps, which the Republican commissioners presented eight days past the Constitutional deadline, are far less compact and representational than maps proposed on time by the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus, the citizen-led Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (OCRC) and several individual Ohio residents. The abundance of superior alternatives provides clear evidence that Republican commissioners actively chose to ignore Ohio’s Constitution when drawing district lines behind closed doors.
"Despite the resounding message Ohioans sent about the need for fair maps, the Republican Commissioners have sent back one of their own -- they just don’t care,” said Katy Shanahan, Ohio State Director for All On The Line. “They don’t care about fairness, they don’t care about public input, they don’t care about our reforms or following the law, and they ultimately don’t care about our democracy.”
Republicans will maintain an unearned supermajority in both Statehouse chambers under the new maps. This will allow them to override the governor’s vetoes without any votes from Democratic members. The Republican supermajority, which has not earned a supermajority of statewide votes, will be able to continue passing extreme legislation that does not reflect the will of the voters.
"This is what bullies do. For three hours, as I awaited my turn to testify before the redistricting commission, Republican members pretended to be interested in input from voters, community leaders, and ministers. Two days later, they rammed through their illegitimate, partisan maps as if we had never spoken to them at all,” said Katie Paris, Founder of Red Wine and Blue. “Suburban women will remember this two-faced power grab the next time we vote."
Next year’s legislative election is likely to result in Republicans holding 72% of Ohio Senate seats and 68% of Ohio House seats. This breakdown openly ignores the Constitutional requirement that map drawers aim to reflect voters’ preferences over the past decade — commonly known as the “representational fairness” requirement. Under a constitutional map, Republicans would hold about 55% of government seats, reflecting their average vote share.
“Fair maps cannot be pushed through partisanship. The Ohio Redistricting Commission has failed on its promise to Ohioans to deliver fair representation, which we know does not equate to a Republican supermajority,” said Tala Dahbour, Policy Director for CAIR-Ohio. "We cannot wait another 4 years for proportional political representation— we need equal districts now."
The new maps violate Ohio’s Constitution by cracking and packing communities of color to dilute their political power. The Republican commissioners admitted publicly at a recent hearing that they did not take this into consideration. It is also apparent that Republican commissioners ignored the public input they received specifically regarding the need to ensure communities of color are not unnecessarily cracked and packed.
Additionally, the proposed maps crack apart communities of interest, dividing neighborhoods and forcing illogical segments of the state together — clearly intending to drown out Democratic votes.
For example, one Senate district stretches from western Cuyahoga County to Geauga, then all the way down Summit County’s western half to the Stark County border.
“Time and time again throughout this year’s GOP-led redistricting process, the voters of Ohio have been let down, left out and insulted. The resulting GOP-proposed state legislative maps crack communities of interest, dilute the political power of voters of color, and do not represent the will of the voters,” said Kobie Christian, Communications Director, For Our Future Ohio. “It is unjust for Ohioans to face elections, misrepresentation, and underrepresentation under these maps for even a single election. But the resolve of Ohio's voters is strong. They have spoken out during this process and will continue to speak out. For Our Future Ohio stands with the Equal Districts Coalition in the fight to ensure the people of Ohio are heard."
Several organizations are currently preparing to take the obviously unconstitutional legislative maps to court, as it is clear the Republican commissioners made no attempt to meet Ohio’s constitutional requirements.
####
The Equal Districts Coalition includes the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP, Ohio Organizing Collaborative, OAPSE/AFSCME, AFSCME Ohio Council 8, the Ohio Environmental Council, Innovation Ohio, the Ohio Student Association, ProgressOhio, All On the Line-Ohio, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, Ohio Council of Churches, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, URGE – Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, LEAD Ohio, the Ohio Women’s Alliance, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Education Association, CAIR-Ohio, Campus Vote Project, For Our Future Ohio, Ohio Unity Coalition, Equality Ohio, The Freedom Bloc, and more.