News
Ohio Supreme Court rejects fourth set of state legislative district maps
By: Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The Ohio Supreme Court is ordering the Ohio Redistricting Commission to meet and adopt a new set of state legislative district maps after ruling the fourth attempt to be unconstitutional.
The district maps for the Ohio House and Ohio Senate were passed on March 28 after Republican commissioners made tweaks to an earlier plan that was also invalidated by the supreme court.
The supreme court had ordered the redistricting commission to implement a new process that included bringing in outside experts and creating a transparent mapmaking process.
The redistricting commission hired two mapmakers from outside of Ohio and required the district drafting to be streamed live. However, Republican commissioners used GOP legislative staff to make a separate map to meet the court-ordered deadline.
Democratic commissioners argued that the other redistricting members needed to give the outside mapmakers more time to finish their plan.
In the ruling, the Ohio Supreme Court told the redistricting commission to reconvene and adopt a new set of maps by May 6.