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Staff Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (TCO) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine voiced concerns over a proposed constitutional amendment (Citizens Not Politicians Amendment/Issue 1) on this fall’s ballot, arguing that it would fail to eliminate gerrymandering and instead exacerbate the problem.
Gerrymandering is when voting district boundaries are drawn with the intention of influencing who gets elected. Instead of Voters choosing the representative, representatives choose their voters
Despite bipartisan support for the current redistricting provisions, DeWine criticized the existing process as ineffective and called for changes to ensure fair representation.
The governor warned that Issue 1, which aims to reduce gerrymandering, could lead to even more extreme gerrymandered districts. He expressed concern that if the amendment passes, voters may become disillusioned with the process, leading to further demands for reform in the future.
DeWine attempted to gaslight Ohioans into thinking that the citizen commission plan would lead to the worst gerrymandering Ohio has ever seen, after DeWine joined Statehouse Republicans in forcing voters to cast ballots in 2022 under the worst gerrymandered maps Ohio has ever seen.
The governor advocated for a system that removes politics from the map-drawing process. He suggested that maps should be based solely on population and avoid splitting political subdivisions like cities and counties. DeWine pointed to Iowa’s Redistricting Plan 2 Bill’s successful use of such a system for over 40 years as a model Ohio could adopt.
The “Iowa plan” emphasizes that districts be compact and contiguous and preserve political subdivisions. It prohibits intentionally favoring a party, incumbent, person or group by disallowing political data from being used in map-drawing, but it should be noted that it’s fairly simple to draw a heavily politicized map by just using geography and not data.
DeWine also criticized Issue 1’s emphasis on “proportionality,” arguing that while it may sound fair, it could undermine other important considerations, such as maintaining community boundaries and ensuring minority representation. He cautioned that prioritizing proportionality could compromise good governance and lead to unintended consequences.
Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor, who supports the amendment, released a statement criticizing DeWine’s interpretation of the amendment:
“The disinformation from the Governor today is insulting to everyone in Ohio, and especially insulting to the half a million Ohioans — Republicans, Democrats and Independents — who put the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment on the November ballot.
Gov. DeWine voted with his fellow politicians seven times for unconstitutional maps, and now says what Ohio really needs is what he calls ‘The Iowa Plan,’ a system where the Governor and other politicians get the final say on maps.
For nearly a year, we have been publicly collecting signatures in all 88 counties and now – 97 days before the election – he tells Ohioans that he and his friends in the legislature are already scheming to overturn what voters will pass in November. We’re done listening to self-serving politicians tell us how they want to keep rigging the game. On to November.
Since the Governor demonstrated in his rambling and disjointed press conference today that he does not understand our amendment, I am offering to sit down and meet with him to explain it.”
The contents of this writing are intended for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice or opinion in any specific facts or circumstances
Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission
https://citizensnotpoliticians.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CNP-Amendment-for-Web.pdf
Legislative Guide to
Redistircting in Iowa
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LG/9461.pdf