Statement from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted on redistricting

COLUMBUS – Regarding movement on a bipartisan legislative redistricting reform proposal in the Ohio House of Representatives, all of the following may be attributed to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted:

“The latest proposal in the Ohio House of Representatives provides us with new hope that a bipartisan redistricting reform plan can be accomplished before year’s end.

“There is however, one component I believe must be amended to build the necessary public trust in this proposal.

“As currently drafted, a simple majority of four votes is required to pass a bipartisan redistricting plan. With a commission that includes four legislative appointees, this proposal would grant the legislature a new and exclusive constitutional right to draw their own maps without any outside check and balance on this power.

“The good news is that it may be easily remedied either through requiring a five-member super majority vote to pass a map, or by requiring that one of the four votes come from one of the statewide elected officials represented on the commission.

“I am confident that it was not the intention of the proposal to create a scenario where the legislature would have the exclusive power to draw its own maps, so I am hopeful this will be an easy fix.”