By Tuesday evening, the Republican majority of the commission had not presented the card proposed by the GOP caucus to either the House or the Senate.
Columbus, Ohio – A meeting of the Ohio Subdivision Commission Tuesday passed rules and suggested maps. But the process is not over yet.
The map was submitted by the Ohio Senate Democrats, and Commission co-chair Vernon Sykes, Senator D-Akron said the map was created with no outside input or verification. He said the map was created “to show that the map can be presented within the time allotted to the committee”.
The Commission Republican majority has not presented the House or Senate GOP caucus proposed card by Tuesday evening, and the House Democratic caucus or commission itself is nearing its deadline on Wednesday September 1st. Was there.
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“This is a starting point, and Senate Democrats encourage committee members and the public to provide feedback and suggestions,” said Sykes.
“No single neighboring town or city is illegally divided into a district in the state,” said Randall Root, a political adviser to the Senate Democratic Party, and presented a map.
“In short, our general assembly district should match the way Ohio voters have shown their tastes over the past decade,” Routt said.
After using voter data for the past decade, the percentage on the map is 45.9% Democratic and 54.1% Republican voters.
Nazi Senator Democrat She should be in for review along with a card filed by the public last week. ORC website ..
After the voting method for changing constituencies changed, the committee set a deadline on September 1 for the submission of law cards. This deadline has clearly expired without an official card proposal.
During Tuesday’s session, Emilia Strong Sykes, D-Acron, the House minority leader, urged the co-chairs several times to come up with a card and include the public’s views.
“I am not aware of any such activity and have not been contacted regarding the dates you are viewing or considering on these cards,” said Emilia Sykes.
The request for public records, which Prime Minister Sykes’s office had submitted to the Supreme Court, was made on the 4th. Shows the letter to Governor Dewin. On June 10, he convened the ORC and asked it to call the first meeting.
First meeting convened on August 6th.
Related: Constituency Change: Ohio’s education funding is out of whack with unbalanced districts
Commission co-chair and House spokesman Bob Cup, R-Lima said the commission had been delayed in initiating the mapping process due to delays in census data, but the process is ongoing. Called. He said he still wanted a map of the bipartisan decade.
“Maps are carefully crafted around data and constitutional requirements,” said Cupp. “It is unlikely to be available before September 1st.”
However, Mr. Cup also said, “Although the committee is not drawing a map itself, I hope it will be brought to the committee for review, like the card presented here today (Senator Demokratie). There is. “
When asked who was working on the map at the gatherings, Cup said “members of internal staff” were working on it, and co-chair Sykes said “staff and advisors” at the Democratic rally.
Commissioner and Senate President Matt Huffman has four separate “caucus legislative cards,” each from the House and Senate parties, before the final card was created. He said he expected several maps to be released.
Read more from the Ohio Capital Journal
“We look forward to these other presentations and ultimately a constitutionally required introduction,” said Huffman.
The Republicans, who make up the majority of both the General Assembly and the constituency change committee itself, are accused of keeping the cartography process secret, tightening the schedule and dedicating the process to a partisan four-year map. Increase. Non-partisan 10-year card.
Cup, with other Republicans on the committee all denied The process is illegal or improper.
Katy Shanahan, head of the All On the Line advocacy branch in Ohio, said it was clear that serious map drawing had begun, but it was too early to see if public opinion would influence the process would. Called.
“In addition, it is difficult to determine how much public comments and proposed cards will affect this process, as there is little transparency about their work and they provide feedback. It’s about when more hearings will take place, ”Shanahan says.
David Pepper, a former Ohio Democratic Party leader who has been involved in the constituency change effort in the past and is now campaigning for the process, said the process appeared to be very well known.
“If you look at their (Republican) operations, they look the same as they did last time,” Pepper said, referring to the 2011 process in which a majority of Republicans and staff personally mapped in a hotel room. Told.
Republicans on the committee accused Pepper of asking if she or her staff were discussing the division of cards in an enclosed space. Pepper pointed out the employees who were privately working on the process to demonstrate the secret process he claimed.
Mr Cup said the commission would schedule three future hearings and plan proposals “immediately” with a view to the “absolute deadline” of September 15 as stipulated in the constitution. Specified.
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