Another Redistricting Deadline Passes, Republican-Led Court Declines to Punish Republican Commissioners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2022
Contact:
Rachel Coyle, coyle@innovationohio.org
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 yet another week of missed redistricting deadlines and lack of accountability:
“Last week, another court-ordered redistricting deadline came and went. The Republican-led Redistricting Commission once again openly mocked Ohio voters and refused to draw legal maps. And the Republican-led Ohio Supreme Court again failed to hold them accountable.
“As Ned Foley, an Ohio State University law professor and a leading election law expert made clear, this is ‘outright defiance of democracy, and a warning sign for the rest of the nation on how ugly and dangerous this kind of power-grabbing can be.’
“Every American should be horrified by the blatant lawlessness of Ohio’s Republican politicians throughout this process. If our state’s top elected officials are allowed to rig districts to keep their party in power, and there are no consequences, what’s to stop every future politician from doing the exact same thing?
“Ohioans need to know exactly who helped rig our state’s district maps:
Governor Mike DeWine (R)
Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R)
State Auditor Keith Faber (R)
Senate President Matt Huffman (R)
House Speaker Bob Cupp (R)
Senator Rob McColley (R)
State Rep Jeff LaRe (R)
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon Kennedy (R)
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Dewine, who is Mike DeWine’s son (R)
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer (R)
“The Equal Districts Coalition will continue to name these redistricting villains until every Ohioan knows what they have done. We applaud House Minority Leader Allison Russo and State Senator Vernon Sykes for their continued commitment for fair maps.
“We will also continue to demand that the commission hold public hearings and fulfill its legal obligations to draft and pass legal maps. Delay tactics are not a valid excuse to ignore Ohio’s Constitution.
"Finally, we strongly urge Ohioans to call for accountability for politicians who violate the law. We must support leaders who respect Ohio's Constitution and the will of the voters."
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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.