Statehouse News Bureau

The Statehouse News Bureau provides educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations.

Redistricting commission sets new rules for fourth try at Ohio House, Senate maps

By Karen Kasler

Published March 24, 2022 at 2:22 PM EDT

Ohio Redistricting Commission meets to select mediators for new mapmaking team on March 22, 2022. [Andy Chow / Statehouse News Bureau] — Ohio Redistricting Commission meets to select mediators for new mapmaking team on March 22, 2022.

The fourth attempt at drawing new Ohio House and Senate maps will be a lot more public than the three previous tries. All of those resulted in maps that were struck down as unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission has been divided along party lines for nearly all of its votes on maps, but the members agreed on a set of rules for newly hired outside mapmakers.

There was an extra level of attention to the court's ruling when it threw out the third set of maps, which led to the introduction of 18 new rules that the process will follow this time.

Not all the rules were adopted, but Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) noted one that was - an extra step to ensure the court’s demand that the drafting should occur in public.

“Ohio Government TV will livestream the map-making process in room 116. OGT will stream the map drawers whenever they are working in the room," Cupp said.

The cameras will be turned on at 8am Thursday. Members of the the public can watch in a nearby room.

The Ohio Channel will show the three computers that University of Florida Professor Michael McDonald and National Demographics Corporation President Douglas Johnson will use to make the House and Senate maps, which are due Monday. McDonald and Johnson will be joined by legislative staff and consultants in creating the maps.