The following is from an article by Thomas Suddes of the Dayton Daily News, a newspaper based in Ohio. Continue reading here: Will congressional redistricting reform really happen?
The Ohio General Assembly is heading home for Christmas, but not before signaling one of its likely 2018 priorities: “Reform” in congressional districting…
…Getting a legislative redistricting reform (if that’s what it’ll really be) to Ohio’s spring ballot will require fast action: 60 yes votes in the 99-member House, and 20 yes votes in the 33-member Senate. Republican have more than enough votes in each chamber to send a redistricting amendment to the ballot. But a package sellable to voters would have to be bipartisan. That could put the General Assembly’s Democrats in the catbird seat – assuming they don’t split racially. If Democrats stay united, and the General Assembly proposes a redistricting package backed by legislators of both parties, the question will be, who really benefits? The usual Statehouse insiders? Or fed-up Ohioans?
Also checkout an article, “Snakes, Ducks and Toilet Bowls: How Does Ohio Shape Its Congressional Districts?” by Kabir Bhatia written for WKSU radio, a service of of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. That article has some great information on Ohio’s current redistricting process including a new report by the League of Women Voters and Ohio Citizen Action and also a video on prison-based gerrymandering:
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