Republican Ohio Redistricting Commissioners Again Ignore State Supreme Court, Violate Ohio Law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2022

Contact:
Katy Shanahan, 614-372-6980, shanahan@redistrictingaction.org
Rachel Coyle, 419-351-5844, coyle@innovationohio.org

COLUMBUS — TODAY, the Equal Districts Coalition — a group of over 30 Ohio advocacy organizations and labor unions engaged in the redistricting process — released the following statement after Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission Commission failed to meet another Supreme Court deadline:

"The Republican commissioners have once again ignored our state Supreme Court, violated Ohio law, and tried to bluster long enough to somehow stumble upon legitimate quarrels with the only commission members who did their jobs.

"Clearly, undoing an unconstitutional gerrymander will cause some lawmakers — who won their seats using illegal maps — to lose their seats. The Republican commissioners insulted Ohioans' intelligence by asking such questions today.

"Bottom line: Democratic commissioners offered constitutional maps. Republican commissioners offered no maps, only excuses. Republicans again refuse to clean up their mess, so Ohio remains mapless."

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The Equal Districts Coalition is the largest redistricting coalition in Ohio, with over 30 member organizations. It includes the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP, Ohio Organizing Collaborative, OAPSE/AFSCME, Ohio Farmers Union, AFSCME Ohio Council 8, the Ohio Environmental Council, OFUPAC, 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.