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Commissioners are left waiting for Ohio House Speaker to call next redistricting meeting

 House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima)
Andy Chow
/
Statehouse News Bureau
House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) answers questions about bills addressing vaccine mandates after House session Wednesday.

The commission has until the end of Thursday to adopt a new state House and Senate district map after the previous plan was ruled unconstitutionalby the Ohio Supreme Court.

Dan Tierney, spokesperson for Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), says the governor believes the commission should meet and do all they can to follow the constitution and the recent court decision.

"However, Governor DeWine believes significant roadblocks remain to achieving a consensus map. The commission has yet to see a map that is both proportional and constitutional. Recent proposals do not greatly differ from previous maps that had constitutional issues. The biggest hurdle remains that Ohio’s political geography does not match the proportionality of recent statewide votes. That being said, the Governor believes the Commission should attempt to comply with the recent order," Tierney said.

Prentiss Haney, Ohio Organizing Collaborativeco-executive director, is among the plaintiffs that challenged those previous maps in court.

Haney says the inaction from the commissionis an argument for why fair districts are needed.

"This particular moment is showing what happens when we have extreme gerrymanders. The elected officials who are part of the process don't feel accountable to the voters and to the Ohio Constitution," Haney said.

There's no word yet from Cupp on when the redistricting commission will meet to adopt new state House and Senate district maps, after its second attempt was again found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Copyright 2022 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.