Gerrymandering Reform Gets Support from Ohio Business Leadership

 

Business leaders from Ohio are standing in support of a proposed constitutional amendment that would change the way redistricting occurs in the state by removing politicians from the process in favor of a citizen commission.

 

“One crucial aspect of ensuring a robust representative democracy are legislative districts that ensure fair representation of the voting population,” an open letter from 67 Ohio business leaders stated. “The sad reality in Ohio is that political leaders of both parties have abused the system.”

 

The letter was released via the Leadership Now Project, a national group of business leaders, and organized by a senior advisor to the project, Ohio Business Roundtable co-founder Richard Stoff.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/gerrymandering-reform-gets-support-from-ohio-business-leadershop-ocj1/

Looking for where you can sign the #CitizensNotPoliticians petition for establishing an independent redistricting commission in Ohio? Check out Mobilize! Just put in your zip code, and the signing events nearest you will pop up. Events are being added every day

https://www.mobilize.us/citizensnotpoliticians/
 

 

Will Ohio Ever End Gerrymandering?

 

Some of the leaders of a campaign to reform redistricting in Ohio say the process of drawing districts may be complicated, but making necessary changes to end gerrymandering isn’t: “Political insiders have no business being in the process.”

 

In a Monday panel discussion on Ohio State University’s campus, retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, League of Women Voters of Ohio Director Jen Miller, political science professor Ange-Marie Hancock, law professor Steven Huefner, and the Brennan Center Democracy Program’s Yurij Rudensky discussed the impact of gerrymandering on political power, and why a third try at redistricting reform needs to be on the public’s radar if it hits the ballots in November.

 

The panel members urged support for an initiative created by the coalition Citizens Not Politicians, in conjunction with O’Connor and what she calls “a group of brainiacs,” who developed the proposed ballot measure to undo the “failings” of voter-approved reforms made in 2015 and 2018 through separate constitutional amendments.

 

“These two amendments were sold as the greatest thing since chocolate milk and sliced bread,” O’Connor said. “I mean, they just thought this was going to be the answer. It was not.”

 

The drafters had perhaps known the amendments would not go as far as voters hoped, O’Connor posited.

 

“As a result, there’s language in (the previous amendments) that limits the power of the people and enhances the power of the legislature,” according to the retired chief justice.

 

Rudensky went so far as to argue that the 2015 and 2018 measures weren’t reforms at all because the measures “didn’t change anything.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/will-ohio-ever-end-gerrymandering-ocj1/

 

Fight over Gerrymandering in Ohio Continues

 

Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman spoke out last month against a proposed constitutional amendment to remove politicians from the redistricting process and give authority over state redistricting to an independent, citizen-led commission.

 

In a post-primary event hosted by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Republican Senate President Huffman, who oversees a supermajority in his chamber representing districts five times rejected as unconstitutionally gerrymandered by a bipartisan majority on the Ohio Supreme Court in 2021 and 2022, gave a rebuttal to arguments being made by supporters of the Citizens Not Politicians ballot initiative, both around the state and at the chamber event itself.

 

“The litigation is going to be extraordinary,” Huffman said.

 

In criticizing the reform effort, Huffman also defended reforms made in 2015 and 2018, which he helped lead and for which he helped negotiate the terms.

 

Those reforms led to the elected-official-helmed Ohio Redistricting Commission, who worked over the last two years on six different versions of Ohio Statehouse district maps and two U.S. congressional map versions.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/fight-over-gerrymandering-in-ohio-continues-ocj1/

 

Signatures Being Gathered in Ohio for Anti-Gerrymandering Proposal

 

Signature collection continues for an anti-gerrymandering ballot measure in Ohio that would replace politicians on the redistricting commission with citizens. As the July deadline approaches, supporters are pointing to a new study showing how uncompetitive Statehouse races are.

 

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU’s law school analyzed Ohio’s current maps alongside the results of the most recent primary election.

 

Authors of the study said the data “reveals one of the tangible ways Ohio’s gerrymandered maps undermine electoral competition, and how the districts leave millions of Ohio voters without a significant voice in the Ohio House elections slated for this November.”

 

“An overwhelming majority of Ohioans will cast ballots this November in legislative districts that were drawn to lock in general election outcomes, and few districts featured meaningful primary contests,” the Brennan Center report stated. “These are the predictable consequences of living in a gerrymandered state.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/signatures-being-gathered-in-ohio-for-anti-gerrymandering-proposal-ocj1/

 

Good news on the anti-gerrymandering amendment:

“Monday preview: group backing amendment to replace Ohio Redistricting Commission with 15 member panel of Republicans, Democrats and independents who aren’t politicians submits 731,306 signatures to put it on Nov. 5 ballot - will need 413,487 valid ones”

 

“By comparison, for last year's abortion rights amendment, supports submitted 709,787 signatures, 495,938 of which were valid, a 69.9% validation rate.  I have a hard time seeing this amendment failing to make the ballot.”

 

 

I’m proud that my signature is in one of those boxes. Big thanks to everyone who collected petitions!

 

Independent Redistricting commission amendment has officially made the ballot! LFG!!

 

supporter email content:

“

Secretary of State Frank LaRose just announced: The Citizens Not Politicians amendment has been approved for the November ballot!

We submitted 731,306 signatures, 535,005 of which were valid, for an impressive overall validity rate of 73.2%. We made the 5% certification rate in 58 counties.

This is a tremendous accomplishment! A round of applause for all!

What’s next: The Ballot Board must convene by August 22 or 23 to propose ballot language and give the amendment an issue number. The voter registration deadline is October 7, and Early Vote starts on October 8! 

It’s thrilling to know all our hard work paid off and we are on the ballot. But there is still lots of work ahead. Approximately one in ten Ohio voters signed our petition–but we want ten out of ten to vote YES. That means a whole lot of education and voter contact between now and election day, November 5. If you haven’t signed up to volunteer yet, please join us by filling out this form. And keep an eye out for emails from Fair Districts or your local leaders with volunteer opportunities.

Today is a day to celebrate. Congrats to all! 

Thanks for all you do,

Mia Lewis and Trevor Martin for Fair Districts”

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/07/ohio-redistricting-reform-amendment-qualifies-for-november-ballot.html?link_id=0&can_id=5da39ea9fdbc7803aee34cb544607bde&source=email-breaking-we-made-the-ballot&email_referrer=email_2395940&email_subject=breaking-we-made-the-ballot

Good news. You know the Republican controlled board is going to use loaded language like

 

"replace the current redistricting commission made up of all elected officials with unelected bureaucrats who are not accountable to the voters to determined your future political representation in the statehouse and Congress" 

 

It's gonna be wild 

https://x.com/FrankLaRose/status/1816465507781931227

 

 

Frank LaRose is big mad lol

More articles on the new Ohio Constitution amendment:

https://signalcleveland.org/ohio-gerrymandering-will-be-on-ballot-in-november-election-2024/

 

https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/local_news/ohio-anti-gerrymandering-amendment-on-its-way-to-november-ballot/article_40baac4a-49bf-11ef-9e59-bfbae15016bf.html

 

 

The effort to pass this amendment was led by REPUBLICAN former Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor.

Quote

Retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, who presided over the high court during the legal battle, called the certification “a historic step towards restoring fairness in Ohio’s electoral process.”

“With this amendment on the ballot, Ohioans have the chance to reclaim their power from the self-serving politicians who want to stay in power long past their expiration date while ignoring the needs of the voters,” the Republican said in a statement.

https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/ohio/ohios-mapmaking-system-november-ballot/530-b3c1e83e-acbb-4a35-a189-eea43b62ad0c

Judge O’Connor spitting fire at that corrupt weasel. 

Yes, that quote is real:

https://www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/statement-from-retired-chief-justice-maureen-oconnor-regarding-news-conference-by-gov-dewine/

 

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2024/08/08/citizens-not-politicians-left-wing-jim-renacci-maureen-oconnor/74710455007/

 

You really love to see Republicans melting down because they know this is getting passed and they are going to lose their stranglehold on state government. 

3 minutes ago, jonoh81 said:

https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2024/08/08/citizens-not-politicians-left-wing-jim-renacci-maureen-oconnor/74710455007/

 

You really love to see Republicans melting down because they know this is getting passed and they are going to lose their stranglehold on state government. 

Seeing a lot of (untruthful) republican op-eds. There was one in the inquirer too.

DeWine Fights to Keep Gerrymandering Alive in Ohio

 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine stood in staunch opposition Wednesday to an anti-gerrymandering proposal heading to voters in November that would replace politicians with a citizen redistricting commission, but he stopped short of presenting a competing proposal this year.

 

DeWine held a press conference on Wednesday, not only to criticize the Citizens Not Politicians ballot initiative, but to acknowledge the process that’s currently in place in Ohio — a process that includes him — doesn’t work either.

 

“We need to end this writing and re-writing of our constitution, and we must defeat this misguided ballot initiative,” DeWine said.

 

Asked whether he thought it was possible the initiative headed to the ballot could work, despite his misgivings, the governor said, “No. No way in hell.”

 

DeWine instead presented his preference for an “Iowa plan,” where Ohio lawmakers would draw up a redistricting amendment proposal of their own early next year, based on the state of Iowa’s.

 

Iowa has a non-partisan legislative services agency draw maps for approval by lawmakers and the governor. If a map doesn’t get passed by the legislature and governor on its first two attempts, Iowa lawmakers are able to make amendments to the map plan as they see fit on the third attempt. This gives Iowa lawmakers final authority on maps.

 

In a response issued after DeWine’s news conference, Citizens Not Politicians leader and retired Republican Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor issued a statement saying that the “disinformation from the governor today is insulting to everyone in Ohio.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/dewine-fights-to-keep-gerrymandering-alive-in-ohio-ocj1/

 

This is the language hack LaRose went with for the anti-gerrymandering amendment. Just blatantly lying. Ohio Republicans are absolute trash and I hope they are forced to change this. 

 

The proposed amendment would: Repeal constitutional protections against gerrymandering approved by nearly three-quarters of Ohio electors participating in the statewide elections of 2015 and 2018, and eliminate the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens to hold their representatives accountable for establishing fair state legislative and congressional districts." Establish a new taxpayer-funded commission of appointees required to manipulate the boundaries of state legislative and congressional districts to favor the two largest political parties in the state of Ohio

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/15/redistricting-issue-backers-draft-ballot-language-would-rig-election/74718586007/

56 minutes ago, jonoh81 said:

This is the language hack LaRose went with for the anti-gerrymandering amendment. Just blatantly lying. Ohio Republicans are absolute trash and I hope they are forced to change this. 

 

The proposed amendment would: Repeal constitutional protections against gerrymandering approved by nearly three-quarters of Ohio electors participating in the statewide elections of 2015 and 2018, and eliminate the longstanding ability of Ohio citizens to hold their representatives accountable for establishing fair state legislative and congressional districts." Establish a new taxpayer-funded commission of appointees required to manipulate the boundaries of state legislative and congressional districts to favor the two largest political parties in the state of Ohio

 

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/15/redistricting-issue-backers-draft-ballot-language-would-rig-election/74718586007/

This desperation play is how you know he’s losing. People will see though this just like they saw through the Issue 1 nonsense last year. This amendment will cruise to victory with plenty of crossover support from republican voters.

 

Enjoy this nepo baby’s temper tantrums. We’re talking about a guy who lost an election to Bernie Moreno, no wonder he’s so bitter.

Edited August 16, 2024Aug 16 by mu2010

1 hour ago, mu2010 said:

This desperation play is how you know he’s losing. People will see though this just like they saw through the Issue 1 nonsense last year. This amendment will cruise to victory with plenty of crossover support from republican voters.

 

Enjoy this nepo baby’s temper tantrums. We’re talking about a guy who lost an election to Bernie Moreno, no wonder he’s so bitter.

 

I tend to agree, but this language is far more egregious than even the proposed language for the abortion amendment last year. It's outright fearmongering. 

We might need another amendment to take the power to create the ballot language away from the Secretary of State and place it in the hands of the Legislative Service Commission or some other non-partisan entity.  LaRose's language is beyond the pale and should be reason enough for him to lose the ability to ever hold statewide office in Ohio. 

 

28 minutes ago, OH_Really said:

We might need another amendment to take the power to create the ballot language away from the Secretary of State and place it in the hands of the Legislative Service Commission or some other non-partisan entity.  LaRose's language is beyond the pale and should be reason enough for him to lose the ability to ever hold statewide office in Ohio. 

 

 

Yeah, let's disqualify officials because they do things you don't like.   And people wonder why some are considered "extremists">

 

State officials are leery of this concept for the same reason the school funding thing has been allowed to fall by the wayside.  They know what kind of cans of worms it opens.   It's super easy to vote for or advocate something, making it happen not so much.

41 minutes ago, jonoh81 said:

 

I tend to agree, but this language is far more egregious than even the proposed language for the abortion amendment last year. It's outright fearmongering. 

Yeah, it’s pretty unconscionable. 

45 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

Yeah, let's disqualify officials because they do things you don't like.   And people wonder why some are considered "extremists">

 

State officials are leery of this concept for the same reason the school funding thing has been allowed to fall by the wayside.  They know what kind of cans of worms it opens.   It's super easy to vote for or advocate something, making it happen not so much.

 

State officials aren't leery of this concept because its a "can of worms", they're leery of it because they know it will limit their party's hold on power. The current amendment was modeled on other states with functioning redistricting processes. 

Being accountable to the public is definitely a can of worms they don’t want to open up.

4 hours ago, E Rocc said:

 

Yeah, let's disqualify officials because they do things you don't like.   And people wonder why some are considered "extremists">

 

State officials are leery of this concept for the same reason the school funding thing has been allowed to fall by the wayside.  They know what kind of cans of worms it opens.   It's super easy to vote for or advocate something, making it happen not so much.

 

We should all dislike lying and intentionally trying to misinform the public. Have a little shame. 

On 8/16/2024 at 6:51 PM, jonoh81 said:

 

We should all dislike lying and intentionally trying to misinform the public. Have a little shame. 

 

So how are you going to accomplish this without splitting up the 3rd and 11th Congressional districts?

Gerrymandering Fight Continues with Lawsuit Over Misleading Ballot Language

 

As promised, supporters of an anti-gerrymandering amendment have asked the Ohio Supreme Court to intervene regarding language the Ohio Ballot Board approved for the November ballot, saying the language violates the Ohio Constitution.

 

A brief filed Monday with the state’s highest court cites constitutional provisions that dictate the way in which titles and language can appear on Ohio ballots, according to the court document written by attorneys for Citizens Not Politicians, the authoring group for the redistricting reform.

 

“This November, Ohio voters will be asked to consider a proposed constitutional amendment that will remove redistricting power from politicians and entrust it to a citizens’ redistricting commission,” attorney Don McTigue wrote. “The politicians are fighting back with an absolute fusillade of falsehoods.”

 

McTigue called the language approved by the board “what may be the most biased, inaccurate, deceptive and unconstitutional ballot language ever adopted by the Ohio Ballot Board.”

 

The board approved the language that will be the summary for the newly minted Issue 1 in a 3-2 vote at its Aug. 16 meeting, with Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Republican state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, and citizen member William N. Morgan voting in favor of the language.

 

The proposed amendment would replace the current Ohio Redistricting Commission made up of politicians including the governor, secretary of state, auditor and two lawmakers from each party, with a 15-member citizens commission made up of equal numbers of Republican, Democratic, and independent citizens with no elected positions or political ties.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/gerrymandering-amendment-fight-continues-with-lawsuit-over-ballot-language-ocj1/

 

Misleading Ballot Language Before November

 

Advocates pushing an anti-gerrymandering amendment in Ohio to remove politicians from mapmaking in favor of a citizen commission said the state’s ballot board should be forced to start over on summary language for the November proposal.

 

Attorneys said the proposed amendment would ban partisan gerrymandering “by setting forth robust redistricting criteria to ensure fair maps, selection standards to ensure the new commission’s impartiality and accountability, and transparency measures to ensure public information and participation,” according to a merit brief filed Thursday.

 

But they say the summary language written by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and adopted by a majority of the Ohio Ballot Board on Aug. 16 “would have voters believe exactly the opposite.”

 

The Ohio Ballot Board decides what language voters will see on their ballots when they go to vote, but that summary language does not change what the proposed amendment would actually do. In a 3-2 vote, the Ohio Ballot Board approved summary language that supporters of the anti-gerrymandering amendment say is intentionally misleading and biased against the amendment. They have filed a lawsuit with the Ohio Supreme Court opposing the summary language.

 

The merit brief is part of that lawsuit filed by Citizens Not Politicians, the group who has led the charge for the anti-gerrymandering amendment. The lawsuit asks the state’s highest court to order changes to the summary language made by the ballot board, chaired by Ohio Sec. of State LaRose.

 

The proposed amendment signed by more than 535,000 verified Ohio voters would replace the current Ohio Redistricting Commission made up of seven politicians, including LaRose, with a 15-member citizens commission made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents.

 

Citizens Not Politicians Attorney Don McTigue pointed to a change made by state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, during the ballot board’s meeting, in which she changed the word “manipulate” to “gerrymander” when describing the methods of redrawing congressional and statehouse district lines within the amendment.

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/advocates-want-to-fix-frank-laroses-misleading-ballot-language-before-november-ocj1/

Look at my sister-in-law (Emily) spitting flames in a guest opinion column on cle dot com

“Sorry, Frank LaRose. Voters are smarter than you think”

 

https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2024/09/sorry-frank-larose-voters-are-smarter-than-you-think-katie-paris-and-emily-schriver.html?outputType=amp

“Between us, we have five kids, two husbands, and more than 50 employees. Like most Ohioans, we lead busy lives. And like all Ohioans, we don’t have time for political nonsense.

Yet that’s exactly what we’re witnessing, again and again, when it comes to the simple idea that everyday Ohioans should have a voice in political decision-making. Secretary of State Frank LaRose and his political friends seem to think frightening and confusing voters is the only way they can score political wins — and they’ve been running this playbook for years now.”

 

Where is the campaign on this ballot issue? Are things going to ramp up? I've seen constant Sherrod Brown / Bernie Moreno ads, including on YouTube/streaming services, but nothing for Yes on Issue 1. I've been basically confident this will pass, but not if there's no campaign to get the word out or yard signs or anything.

The Ohio Supreme Court continues to be a disgrace:

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/09/16/ohio-supreme-court-approves-redistricting-summary-with-two-small-revisions/
 

“Ohio Supreme Court approves redistricting summary with only two small revisions

Republican majority rejects 6 of 8 changes requested by anti-gerrymandering advocates proposing the amendment”

Hey @mu2010 - plenty of “Yes on 1” yard signs in my area. 

 

 

4 minutes ago, mu2010 said:

Where is the campaign on this ballot issue? Are things going to ramp up? I've seen constant Sherrod Brown / Bernie Moreno ads, including on YouTube/streaming services, but nothing for Yes on Issue 1. I've been basically confident this will pass, but not if there's no campaign to get the word out or yard signs or anything.

 

Not sure about the campaign specifics, but you can sign up to volunteer for the effort at https://www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/

12 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Hey @mu2010 - plenty of “Yes on 1” yard signs in my area. 

That is good to hear. There’s, in my mind, a strange lack of yard signs here in Lakewood this time around compared to 2020 and even compared to last years’ ballot issues. I figured for Kamala it was maybe because the candidate changed but I was wondering what was going on with this redistributing amendment.

12 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

The Ohio Supreme Court continues to be a disgrace:

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/09/16/ohio-supreme-court-approves-redistricting-summary-with-two-small-revisions/
 

A disgrace is absolutely right. They’re shameless.

 

and I agree with @mu2010, I’ve been trying to get my hands on a sign and can’t figure out how!

On 7/31/2024 at 1:39 PM, Boomerang_Brian said:

Judge O’Connor spitting fire at that corrupt weasel. 

Yes, that quote is real:

https://www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/statement-from-retired-chief-justice-maureen-oconnor-regarding-news-conference-by-gov-dewine/

 

 

We need more Republicans like Former Chief Justice O'Connor to speak up.

For anyone interested in helping to pass Issue 1 , here is the email I just received from the campaign with an emergency meeting tonight to follow up on the court’s decision
 

Hello Fair Districts: 

You probably heard that the Ohio Supreme Court ruled on the ballot language for Issue 1– and that confusing and deceptive language was allowed to stand.

The Citizens Not Politicians campaign has a plan to counter the confusion and make sure Issue 1 passes in November–and that plan involves YOU.

REGISTER FOR TONIGHT’S URGENT TOWN HALL

Join the full Yes on Issue 1coalition for an urgent town hall, tonight, September 17, at 6pm. Here is the short but powerful agenda:

What the Ohio Supreme Court ruled and what to expect tomorrow from the Ballot Board 

How we win, and how the campaign is expanding dramatically in next week so voters get the facts on Issue 1 

What your neighbors and family members need to hear from you so we win 

Next steps and opportunities for involvement 

Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued a shameful opinion, but our playbook this year is the same as our playbook for last year's wins: Get the voters the facts to inoculate against the politicians' lies.

See you tonight at 6pm!

 

Full link: https://url1005.email.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.v2UrIOJHHKkg0Pk-aGvhy2ldtYd_E7WKWxeQ_Z2CVmj8ZfKhw3Q1O4fGy5pG22MDnQMf3UULAmd7r3ByrUPHos1CjbtqZPutwZZluc44NjTV7EEPxB96__agyf_xaLu-GpipGbqKM1wk9HjeUkKSbKesiuCAatKIfKbIdndWtfb6GPFgl0xJ66U2NDtZwqH8UQgZP2wvCUJRDjfFn7h_tEj9UDZqIAb65A7HXSuZS81qw9Pb3h7OWyjfv09Tj5oZWVIY1rkDaUb0n2uj5m0oC1hHmseCVza7wX11-MwikYLAPyVrFnBaRD7qafojnbN3b0DzvZ4IKaTPOiT6uXeoKPGIzi7dAm5xAYC-d_UnOuFUAuN5TeZUoZK7t0wrLVcgSHCGGmWI_oUHLABkaLZ1CQ/49u/3xQ3xE8bSZaygmZLgCguTg/h1/h001.Mi31Laips2DsYGH-kPzjEV8Phu0Fmj9pOJPF2jng6to

 

New ad, great stuff:

 

 

No, not confusing at all. To be Frank, it makes my blood boil/want to punch someone.

 

 

Ohio Democrats Want a Nonpartisan Ballot Board

 

Democratic lawmakers are introducing a bill that would reform Ohio’s Ballot Board.  

 

State Reps. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, and Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland, wrote the bill that would re-shape who is on the ballot board with the hope of fostering more bipartisan cooperation. 

 

“It is clear that our current system and makeup of the Ohio Ballot Board is broken and fails to meet the high standards that Ohio voters deserve during crucial elections,” Piccolantonio said Friday during a press conference. 

 

Upchurch is a member of the current ballot board, which is chaired by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Also on the board are state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green; Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson, D-Toledo; and William Morgan. Other than the Secretary of State, members of the board’s terms expire in February. 

 

The Republican-controlled ballot board has been scrutinized by Democrats recently over Issue 1 ballot language, the words voters see when they are in the voting booth. 

 

“The reason that we need to take action is because of failed leadership of the Republican-led ballot board,” Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said during the press conference. “A handful of power hungry politicians have used this ballot board as a political tool for years to write dishonest language with the goal of deceiving, misleading and defrauding voters. … Voters are tired of the ballot board’s partisan actions, its lies, its mismanagement and its leadership failures. The system, though, is not too broken. It can be fixed.”

 

More below:

https://columbusunderground.com/ohio-democrats-want-a-nonpartisan-ballot-board-ocj1/

 

3 hours ago, KJP said:

No, not confusing at all. To be Frank, it makes my blood boil/want to punch someone.

 

 

 

The then-majority Democrats did nearly the same thing when they were opposing a similar amendment during the early 80s.

1 hour ago, E Rocc said:

 

The then-majority Democrats did nearly the same thing when they were opposing a similar amendment during the early 80s.

So you agree that it’s bad for elected officials to do this kind of thing? And therefore we should pass Issue 1 to directly address one cause of the problem? 

11 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

So you agree that it’s bad for elected officials to do this kind of thing? And therefore we should pass Issue 1 to directly address one cause of the problem? 

 

He's been asked about stuff like this before, and he always says essentially that the Dems deserve it because they controlled both chambers of the Ohio Legislature and the statewide offices from 1983-1984 and didn't want to solve it. He doesn't want to give up the guaranteed Republican supermajority in the statehouse. If the reverse conditions were true I would certainly vote to end gerrymandering, even if it hurt my party's chances of a supermajority in the Ohio Statehouse.

 

EDIT: Upon some research, it turns out the ballot measure he loves to reference was in November 1981, and Ohio had a Democratic majority in the Ohio Senate, but a Republican majority in the Ohio House and a Republican Governor. I guess his claim that the Democrats were the majority party during that election isn't quite true.

Back when Appalachia was Democratic and there were still Republicans inside outerbelts.

1 hour ago, ryanlammi said:

 

He's been asked about stuff like this before, and he always says essentially that the Dems deserve it because they controlled both chambers of the Ohio Legislature and the statewide offices from 1983-1984 and didn't want to solve it. He doesn't want to give up the guaranteed Republican supermajority in the statehouse. If the reverse conditions were true I would certainly vote to end gerrymandering, even if it hurt my party's chances of a supermajority in the Ohio Statehouse.

 

EDIT: Upon some research, it turns out the ballot measure he loves to reference was in November 1981, and Ohio had a Democratic majority in the Ohio Senate, but a Republican majority in the Ohio House and a Republican Governor. I guess his claim that the Democrats were the majority party during that election isn't quite true.

I think it’s important for us to continue calling out these bad faith arguments. 
 

To anyone who wants to argue about what Democrats have done when they were in charge of Ohio - the ONLY two times since 1951 where Democrats controlled the Governorship, the State Senate, and the State House of Representatives were ‘59-‘60 and ‘83-‘84. Both were short lived trifectas. It is disingenuous to make any claims about things Democrats screwed up when running Ohio, because Democrats have essentially NEVER run Ohio. By comparison, Republicans have had an Ohio trifecta 2011-present, 1995-2006, ‘63-70, and ‘57-58.

 

I look forward to this amendment passing despite all of the lies told about it by Republican “leadership” in the state. 

1 hour ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

So you agree that it’s bad for elected officials to do this kind of thing? And therefore we should pass Issue 1 to directly address one cause of the problem? 

 

Anyone involved in politics is in effect a politician.  The difference with initiatives is the people who support it bear no responsibility for implementation.   

 

BTW in 1981 the State Apportionment Board was 3-2 Democratic because they held more state offices.    

2 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

Anyone involved in politics is in effect a politician.  The difference with initiatives is the people who support it bear no responsibility for implementation.   

 

BTW in 1981 the State Apportionment Board was 3-2 Democratic because they held more state offices.    

This does not answer the question. I don’t even see how it’s relevant. We have elected officials currently implementing the “anti-gerrymandering” amendment they themselves wrote and completely butchering it, which is what led to the new ballot initiative.  Also, 1981 is 43 years ago. 

2 hours ago, GCrites said:

Back when Appalachia was Democratic and there were still Republicans inside outerbelts.

 

Columbus didn't consistently start voting Democratic until the mid-1990s. It's now the 2nd strongest blue city and second strongest blue county in the state. And will likely end up being #1 eventually, especially from a vote total perspective. 

Edited September 24, 2024Sep 24 by jonoh81

13 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

This does not answer the question. I don’t even see how it’s relevant. We have elected officials currently implementing the “anti-gerrymandering” amendment they themselves wrote and completely butchering it, which is what led to the new ballot initiative.  Also, 1981 is 43 years ago. 

 

Yeah, Rocc's argument makes no sense. Even if his premise were true about something that happened in the early '80s, the argument in 2024 would be to support the Yes on 1 vote and take this anti-democratic power away from both parties. We should keep in mind that Democrats and many others want this to pass, and should they ever manage to gain power again, also wouldn't be able to unfairly gerrymander to their advantage. Democrats are clearly far more willing to sacrifice their own power for fair elections than Republicans are. 

Edited September 24, 2024Sep 24 by jonoh81

According to ERocc I should suffer the consequences people made before I was born, and even before my parents moved to Ohio, simply because a bunch of Democrats who are dead now didn't want to solve a problem he now benefits from politically. It's a naked power grab from the Republicans he endorses because he has no real convictions, except he wants his corrupt Ohio GOP to remain unchallenged.

Ohio Chamber weighs in on Issue 1, amendment removing politicos from redistricting

 

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce is opposed to Issue 1, a constitutional amendment that would remove elected officials from redistricting, the process of redrawing district maps for the state House, state Senate and U.S. House.

 

Issue 1 sets up a commission of 15 citizens chosen by retired judges to redraw the maps with the goal of preventing the political party with the most power in Columbus from seizing more power than its political support warrants, a practice known as gerrymandering. The citizen panel will be evenly divided between Democrats, Republicans and independents and require the consent of at least two of each group in order to approve a map. It also requires that new maps be drawn for the 2026 elections.

 

In a statement, Ohio Chamber CEO Steve Stivers, a former Republican congressman, said the decision came after the chamber’s board met and heard from a committee reviewing the issue.

 

“Our concern is, if passed, the consequence could result in raising the cost of doing business in Ohio, making our state less competitive for business, and impacting critical issues our members care deeply about, including minimum wage, legal reform, tort reform and forced unionization,” Stivers said. “The chamber is not endorsing the status quo; the current system is flawed and should be fixed through bipartisan efforts.”

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/09/26/ohio-chamber-issue-1-redistrict-gerrymandering.html