Republicans Fail to Introduce Map, Miss Deadline for Bipartisan Congressional Redistricting

COLUMBUS - The House Democratic members on the Joint Committee on Congressional Redistricting slammed today's failure by the Republican-controlled committee to advance any fair, constitutional maps, calling it another broken promise to the people of Ohio.

"Republicans are choosing their own political futures and Donald Trump's agenda over the people of Ohio. Ohio voters outlined a clear bipartisan process for maps in 2018, and Republicans broke their promises - wasted a month, never even introduced a map, and are running out the clock until they can pass a partisan, gerrymandered map," said Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati). "Ohioans deserve fair maps that represent their views. Republicans are picking their voters so they can continue to jam their unpopular agenda through Congress. Gerrymandered maps mean higher health care costs, more rural hospital closures, and life continuing to get more expensive. Ohioans deserve better."

Assistant Minority Leader Phil Robinson (D-Solon) served as a member Tuesday on the Joint Committee on Congressional Redistricting.

"Republicans showed Ohioans who they really serve at the Statehouse: Donald Trump and his extreme agenda. We heard from citizens who demanded fair, constitutional maps and Republicans ignored every word they had to say," said Rep. Robinson. "Instead of doing their jobs, Republicans decided to just check the boxes and punt the process down the road. The Republican's endgame is to steal more seats for Trump. Democrats are going to fight like hell to stop them and pass fair maps that Ohioans deserve and have asked for."

Now that the Republican-controlled legislature has failed to introduce and pass a new congressional map as outlined in the Ohio Constitution, the process moves to the Republican-controlled Ohio Redistricting Commission. That commission has until October 31st to vote on a bipartisan map. If Republicans fail to act again, the process returns to the legislature where it has until November 31st to pass a map by a simple majority.