News
Sykes Says Redistricting Commission Should Be Drawing Maps
By: Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau
Posted on:
It was revealed at the last redistricting commission meeting that different caucuses in the House and Senate were working on their own to present maps to the commission. But the top Democratic leader in the House says that’s not what’s mandated by the constitution.
House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) says the Ohio Redistricting Commission, which she’s on, is mandated by the constitution to draw the House and Senate maps.
Sykes says doing so can help prevent political games.
“Do the best that we can to minimize the amount of partisanship that is in this process because certainly it is very likely to happen but the more we do and talk about this in the open the less likely those types of influences will creep in,” says Sykes.
The Senate Dems have already presented a map to the commission and the Republican caucuses are working on proposals too.
Sykes says the issues around process could have been avoided had the commission convened earlier in the year instead of waiting to begin in August.
The next step in the process is for the commission to accept a map and hold public hearings on the proposal.