Blackshear Condemns Statehouse Republicans for Ignoring Redistricting Deadline

Today, state Senator Willis E. Blackshear Jr. (D-Dayton) issued the following statement regarding Statehouse Republicans’ decision to ignore the constitutional requirement to pass a bipartisan congressional map by September 30. 

“Despite the Democratic Caucuses’ attempts at good faith discussions and the proposal of a fair map that reflects the will of the voters, the Ohio Legislature failed to meet our constitutional deadline to pass a bipartisan map,” said Blackshear. “The inaction of our colleagues, who never even presented a map of their own, means the redistricting process now moves to the Ohio Redistricting Commission, and our fight for a fair map continues.”

Because the Republican-led Joint Committee on Congressional Redistricting refused to produce a proposal and ignored the constitutional deadline of September 30, the Ohio Redistricting Commission is constitutionally required to meet during the month of October, hold public hearings, and pass a bipartisan congressional map that is representative of Ohio’s electorate. 

Democrats sent a letter to the governor urging him to reconvene the Ohio Redistricting Commission immediately to begin its work to produce a fair, bipartisan congressional map. 

The full letter can be found here.