Gerrymandering Reform Passed By Ohio Congress, Heading To Ballots

COLUMBUS, OH — Legislation that would reform some of Ohio's gerrymandered districts will appear on voters' ballots in May after it was passed by the Ohio House on Tuesday. Senate Joint Resolution 5 would restrict gerrymandering in the state by way of a constitutional amendment.

Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass the bill in the Ohio Senate, with the legislation passing through the hall unanimously. Senate Joint Resolution 5 then passed through the Ohio House on Tuesday by a vote of 82-10.

Some Democrats opposed the measure, feeling it didn't do enough to protect voting rights or fully remedy the gerrymandering problem. However, both sides of the aisle seemed generally pleased with the resolution.

“After months of negotiation, thousands of Ohioans speaking out, and several false starts, we’re closer to stopping congressional gerrymandering today than we have ever been before. Though imperfect, this latest plan represents one of the most fundamental tenets of our American democracy – compromise,” said House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn, Dayton.

House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, a Republican from Cliff County, trumpeted the measure earlier on Tuesday, when it passed out of committee and onto the floor for a vote.

"I’m proud to announce that the Rules Committee unanimously approved historic, bipartisan redistricting reform," he said on Twitter.

The resolution states that the General Assembly must approve redrawn district maps by a three-fifths vote, including at least half of the minority party. If the two parties compromise and reach an agreement, the resulting map will stay in place for 10 years. If a compromise isn't met, the bipartisan Redistricting Committee will take over the process.

That commission will need a majority of its members to approve the proposed map, including two members of the minority party. If that cannot be done, then the General Assembly can then approve a map with three-fifths of the vote and one third of the minority party.

If none of those compromises work, then the General Assembly can approve a redrawn map with a simple majority. However, that map will only stay in place for four years, and that map cannot be shown to favor one political party over another. Instead, the map must show deference to keeping cities, townships and counties together, as much as possible. Voting districts should be, as much as possible, compact.

“While SJR 5 is not a perfect piece of legislation, it is better than what we have now. I appreciate all the work that has been done by the committee legislators, the coalition advocates and I especially appreciate the work by those who have been out collecting signatures to ensure fairer districts,” said state Rep. Nickie Antonio, Democrat from Lakewood. She added that the measure means a step towards voters again selecting representatives rather than representatives selecting their voters.

Photo by Tara Conry/Patch