Cleveland Plain Dealer (Op-Ed): A second chance for fair maps in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court decisions last week striking down the gerrymandered Ohio House and Senate and congressional district maps are huge wins for all Ohio voters, and for representative democracy itself.

In 2015 and 2018, the people spoke: Ohio voters overwhelmingly supported adding state legislative and congressional amendments to ban gerrymandering to the Ohio Constitution. Both constitutional amendments passed by over 70%. Both amendments won in every one of Ohio’s 88 counties.

These decisions by the Ohio Supreme Court are tremendous wins for every Ohio voter, and for all Americans whose voting rights are being undermined by shameless gerrymandering. No politicians should be given carte blanche to cherry-pick and distort rules to maintain their power, to undermine democracy for the sake of partisan gain.

But it’s a shame that it took multiple court cases to force elected officials to follow the law. In the words of Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who was the state’s lieutenant governor in the Bob Taft administration: “Having now seen firsthand that the current Ohio Redistricting Commission — comprised of statewide elected officials and partisan legislators — is seemingly unwilling to put aside partisan concerns as directed by the people’s vote, Ohioans may opt to pursue further constitutional amendment to replace the current commission with a truly independent, nonpartisan commission that more effectively distances the redistricting process from partisan politics.”

Catherine Turcer is executive director of Common Cause Ohio and has been working on redistricting reform since the early 1990s.