Equal Districts Coalition Holds Press Briefing on Ohio's Redistricting Constitutional Crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2022
Contact:
Maki Somosot, maki@ohorganizing.org
Rachel Coyle, 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 — held a press Q&A at the Ohio Statehouse with legal and redistricting experts, as well as legislators and local leaders.
Video from this event can be found here.
“All 33 Equal Districts partner organizations are based in Ohio, and we cover a broad range of issues. Some of us are unions, fighting for workers' rights. Some are working toward specific policy goals, such as reproductive freedoms or environmental justice. Some of us lift up community voices, such as AAPI Ohioans, Muslim Ohioans, Black Ohioans, LGBTQIA Ohioans, moms, students, working Ohioans, and many more. But ALL of us are harmed by rigged district lines and the extremist politicians they elect by default,” said Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio.
Event speakers provided an update on the current status of Ohio’s redistricting constitutional crisis. Members of the press were then invited to ask questions and engage in conversation with some of the most knowledgeable professionals in the field.
“In their February 24th map, the Republican map drawers employed a new tactic in their attempt to neutralize Section 6 [of Ohio’s Constitution]: they counted as ‘Democratic-leaning’ a large number of districts that most observers would regard as ‘tossups,’” said Dr. Richard Gunther, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Ohio State University. Under this map, he explained, “a 2% decline in votes for Democrats would shift 19 seats to the Republicans, while a 2% decline in the Republican vote would shift no seats to the Democrats. In short, this map would virtually guarantee a permanent Republican majority (if not supermajority).”
Dr. Gunther’s full remarks can be viewed here.
“The Republican Party, and the Ohio Redistricting Commission, basically just stuck out their tongue at the Ohio Supreme Court. And the rule of law when you do that will not survive. The rule of law is built on respect. If you don’t respect the rule of law, you’ve got a big problem. I think we’ve got a big problem here in Ohio, unfortunately,” said Professor Mark Brown, Newton D. Baker/Baker and Hostetler Chair of Law, Capital University Law School.
The event was moderated by Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio. Speakers Included:
State Representative Monique Smith (D-Fairview Park)
Dr. Richard Gunther, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University
Professor Mark Brown, Newton D. Baker/Baker and Hostetler Chair of Law, Capital University Law School
Zach Roberts, Ohio Veterans Network
Robert Davis, Political and Legislative Director, AFSCME Council 8
Deidre Reese, Ohio Unity Coalition
Speakers discussed Ohio’s ongoing redistricting constitutional crisis and its damaging impacts on their communities.
“Our members supported the referendum to change the redistricting process…We went out and worked for it and got it passed. And to see it come to this is just a shame,” said Robert Davis, Political and Legislative Director, AFSCME Council 8. “Our members are no different than the average working man and woman here in Ohio. Those individuals wanted to see the process changed — they said it was too one-sided. To see the Republican-led legislature and Redistricting Commission put their thumb on the scale to tip things in their favor — it’s just not a fair process at all.”
“I’m a mother of two school age children — my children are in public school. I’m a homeowner. I have a lot of skin in the game and a lot of reasons to want to stay in a position where I can work to make Ohio a better place to live. But I also have roots and a lot of things at stake when I consider where I will run, how I will run, when I will run. People often ask why there aren’t more women in elected office. I often ask why there aren’t more mothers of young children in elected office. When we see processes work in this way, we can answer those questions quite easily,” said State Representative Monique Smith (D-Fairview Park).
“I am a post-9/11 veteran and current service member who has had to navigate the challenges of voting while deployed. It is because of that experience that I am here today...Leaders in the legislature and on the Redistricting Commission should be ashamed of their actions. Their repeated failure to pass constitutional maps for Ohio's General Assembly and Congressional Districts has put them in a position where they must move our primary election date or run afoul of federal laws governing military and overseas voting,” said Zach Roberts of the Ohio Veterans Network.
“The odd groupings and splits have been made intentionally to pack and crack Democratic votes and communities of color so that their combined interests — and more importantly their combined power and influence — will be minimized. There are terrible examples throughout the maps that are obvious and egregious,” said Deidra Reese, Statewide Program Manager, Ohio Coalition on Black Civic Participation / Ohio Unity Coalition.
Central Ohio is also home to the largest concentration of Bhutanese-Americans outside of the country of Bhutan. With the gerrymandered maps proposed by Republicans, the political representation and influence of this fast-growing refugee community in Franklin County is in danger of being wiped out.
Sudarshan Pyakurel, Executive Director, Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio, shared the following quote on the significance of redistricting to this community:
“Having had all of our rights and dignity stripped away by the King of Bhutan, the right to vote and to free and fair elections is a right we will always cherish and work to protect — for Bhutanese Americans, Asian Americans and ALL Americans. A big part of ensuring those voting rights is creating fair, competitive districts and representation for all Ohioans.
Like our community — which lost many because of ethnic cleansing and outbreaks of disease — Americans have fought and bled and died in world wars and in fighting for civil and women’s rights and equality. Please honor these sacrifices — the ultimate sacrifices — by ending the anti-democracy practice of gerrymandering. Honor their memory by creating fair and competitive districts and free elections in the Buckeye state.”
Director Pyakurel’s full statement can be viewed here.
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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.
