Lawmakers face Dec. 7 deadline on redistricting
By
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The Highland County Press
While Hillsboro City Council committees are set to consider a citizen's demand for the proper redistricting of council wards on Dec. 5, the Ohio General Assembly has a more immediate concern for redistricting.
Ohio lawmakers have a Wednesday, Dec. 7 deadline to have new districts in place for the 2012 congressional election and avoid the anticipated expense of $15 million if two 2012 primaries are necessary.
House Minority Leader Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, and Rep. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, chairman of the State Government and Elections Committee, have developed a new map that gives Republicans the clear advantage in six districts, Democrats the advantage in four and creates six districts that lean Republican but give Democrats a competitive chance.
However, according to a Dec. 4 editorial in The Youngstown Vindicator (www.vindy.com) some Republican leaders insist there is no compromise at this point.
"We are disturbed by the insistence of GOP leaders that there is no agreement and that Huffman’s meeting with Budish was not as conclusive as the Democrats believed," the Vindicator said. "This is not the time for grandstanding, nor is it a time for partisan game-playing. The people of Ohio deserve better from their elected representatives.
"Since the Republicans took over state government in January, Democrats have been largely ignored with regard to the legislative agenda. The minority party has fought back by challenging laws they find extreme through the referendum process. They succeeded with the collective bargaining reform law, which was rejected by Ohioans in the November general election. They also are challenging the election reform law, and are circulating petitions to put the Republican congressional district map up for a vote in November 2012."
Barring a compromise, Ohio is set to hold two primary elections in 2012, one on March 6 and the second one on June 12. The two elections were made necessary after protests over the Republican's new map of 16 congressional districts. As previously reported, Secretary of State Jon Husted has certified that “Ohioans for Fair Districts,” the group seeking a referendum on House Bill 319, has met the initial 1,000-signature requirement needed to begin circulating petitions for the November 2012 ballot.
In a recent column by Ohio Rep. John Carey, R-Wellston, the longtime legislator maintains the "Ohio House was forced to approve House Bill 318, legislation that creates a June primary. This action was precipitated by a referendum launched by the Ohio Democratic Party to put the drawing of U.S. congressional districts on hold.
"What this referendum would mean, however, is that Ohio will be in violation of federal law on Dec. 7, since candidates will not have districts in which to file. In an effort to avoid legal chaos and keep the State of Ohio in compliance with federal law, Speaker Batchelder negotiated diligently with House Democrats to make adjustments to the redistricting map to address targeted concerns.
"The original map already drew two Republican Congressional members together, two Democrat Congressional members together, and another Republican and Democrat member in to the same districts. The new proposed map is outlined in House Bill 369. It requires 66 votes to become law immediately, and of the 99 members in the House, 59 are Republican and 40 are Democrat."
Carey said "It is a shame that the judicial system is being used to thwart the Constitutional responsibility of the Legislature. The House Democrats getting their way should not come at the expense of creating chaos in our state government."
Should Ohio move forward with two primary elections next spring, The first primary election, to be in March, will include local and state legislative races, as well as the U.S. Senate race. The second primary, to be in June, will include the congressional and presidential races.
Ohio 17th District Sen. David Daniels (R-Greenfield) said that he wants to see a solution that will bring "certainty" back to the voters. "We're trying to find solutions other than holding two primaries," Daniels told The Highland County Press. "But right now, that's the only way we could guarantee the integrity and the timelines set as far as the elections this year."
Daniels said that he would like to see "that we simply enact the congressional districts that the apportionment board drew and then go on with life. Nobody ever likes the lines. Nobody ever likes what happens. There have been numerous attempts over the last four years to change the process. If I had a magic wand, I would go ahead with the congressional board and bring certainty back to the election process for all the citizens of the state of Ohio."
Daniels said that he feels the funds that will have to be put toward the second election could be put toward more constructive uses. "The state pays for this. The taxpayers pay for this, but the cost of this will be funded out of the state budget," Daniels said. "It's an expense that, quite frankly, can be used for better purposes. We could put that money into the local government fund, or in any number of areas that have been cut through the budget process that could be revisited."
The GOP's proposed congressional district places Highland County in a Columbus and eastern Ohio district, with virtually none of its neighboring counties.
It was reported September by The Highland County Press, that a retired mechanical nuclear engineer from Coshocton, has proposed a legislative redistricting map for Ohio which would have kept Highland County in the Third Congressional District, only with more of its neighboring counties. See: http://www.highlandcountypress.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=9805&Sec…
Highland County Democratic Chairperson Dinah Phillips said that she thinks that voter confidence is on the decline, and she feels that having two primaries next year will only confuse and further distance the people the boards of elections and the state legislature serve.
"I just can't see the reasoning and the logic behind holding separate primary elections," Phillips said. "We've not done this at any other time that I've been on the board or chairman of the Democratic Party. I don't know what advantage this is going to be to the public.
"I've talked with other board members from Brown and Adams and Fayette counties in the last three or four days, and they have all indicated their displeasure and dismay to hold a second election. Is it really going to be worth all that expense and worth it to expend that amount of money just for an extra election? Not in my opinion."
"The public has elected these Republicans because they were supposed to be the 'fiscally responsible party,'" Phillips said. "This, in my opinion, is not being fiscally responsible. It is about the most irresponsible thing I think anybody has done in a long time. It's divisive. People are really upset with government, and this is one of the reasons why."
According to the Vindicator, "What the state needs is one primary and a bipartisan map that sets out the 16 congressional districts. With Ohio looming as a key battleground in the 2012 presidential contest, any doubts about the conduct of the election will once again turn the national spotlight on Ohio. That can be avoided if the GOP controlled General Assembly adopts a compromise map that appears to have been worked out by Republican and Democratic legislators. We use the word 'appears' because late last week, GOP leaders were feigning ignorance about the latest congressional district map."
Meanwhile, Thomas Suddes wrote this weekend in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, … "Democrats aren't as pure as the driven snow. But, this time, Republicans are the bad guys in Columbus. That's because, unless something changes between now and Dec. 7, Statehouse Republicans will – because they can – probably make taxpayers pay for two 2012 primary elections (at $15 million each). Districts or no districts, congressional candidates aiming to run in that special June 12 primary are being told to file candidate paperwork by this Wednesday – except that congressional candidates are also on notice they may have to refile by March 14. Got that?
"Any Ohio adult with time on his or her hands should consider volunteering at the Statehouse. Children have hijacked the General Assembly. And, obviously, they need supervision."[[In-content Ad]]
While Hillsboro City Council committees are set to consider a citizen's demand for the proper redistricting of council wards on Dec. 5, the Ohio General Assembly has a more immediate concern for redistricting.
Ohio lawmakers have a Wednesday, Dec. 7 deadline to have new districts in place for the 2012 congressional election and avoid the anticipated expense of $15 million if two 2012 primaries are necessary.
House Minority Leader Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, and Rep. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, chairman of the State Government and Elections Committee, have developed a new map that gives Republicans the clear advantage in six districts, Democrats the advantage in four and creates six districts that lean Republican but give Democrats a competitive chance.
However, according to a Dec. 4 editorial in The Youngstown Vindicator (www.vindy.com) some Republican leaders insist there is no compromise at this point.
"We are disturbed by the insistence of GOP leaders that there is no agreement and that Huffman’s meeting with Budish was not as conclusive as the Democrats believed," the Vindicator said. "This is not the time for grandstanding, nor is it a time for partisan game-playing. The people of Ohio deserve better from their elected representatives.
"Since the Republicans took over state government in January, Democrats have been largely ignored with regard to the legislative agenda. The minority party has fought back by challenging laws they find extreme through the referendum process. They succeeded with the collective bargaining reform law, which was rejected by Ohioans in the November general election. They also are challenging the election reform law, and are circulating petitions to put the Republican congressional district map up for a vote in November 2012."
Barring a compromise, Ohio is set to hold two primary elections in 2012, one on March 6 and the second one on June 12. The two elections were made necessary after protests over the Republican's new map of 16 congressional districts. As previously reported, Secretary of State Jon Husted has certified that “Ohioans for Fair Districts,” the group seeking a referendum on House Bill 319, has met the initial 1,000-signature requirement needed to begin circulating petitions for the November 2012 ballot.
In a recent column by Ohio Rep. John Carey, R-Wellston, the longtime legislator maintains the "Ohio House was forced to approve House Bill 318, legislation that creates a June primary. This action was precipitated by a referendum launched by the Ohio Democratic Party to put the drawing of U.S. congressional districts on hold.
"What this referendum would mean, however, is that Ohio will be in violation of federal law on Dec. 7, since candidates will not have districts in which to file. In an effort to avoid legal chaos and keep the State of Ohio in compliance with federal law, Speaker Batchelder negotiated diligently with House Democrats to make adjustments to the redistricting map to address targeted concerns.
"The original map already drew two Republican Congressional members together, two Democrat Congressional members together, and another Republican and Democrat member in to the same districts. The new proposed map is outlined in House Bill 369. It requires 66 votes to become law immediately, and of the 99 members in the House, 59 are Republican and 40 are Democrat."
Carey said "It is a shame that the judicial system is being used to thwart the Constitutional responsibility of the Legislature. The House Democrats getting their way should not come at the expense of creating chaos in our state government."
Should Ohio move forward with two primary elections next spring, The first primary election, to be in March, will include local and state legislative races, as well as the U.S. Senate race. The second primary, to be in June, will include the congressional and presidential races.
Ohio 17th District Sen. David Daniels (R-Greenfield) said that he wants to see a solution that will bring "certainty" back to the voters. "We're trying to find solutions other than holding two primaries," Daniels told The Highland County Press. "But right now, that's the only way we could guarantee the integrity and the timelines set as far as the elections this year."
Daniels said that he would like to see "that we simply enact the congressional districts that the apportionment board drew and then go on with life. Nobody ever likes the lines. Nobody ever likes what happens. There have been numerous attempts over the last four years to change the process. If I had a magic wand, I would go ahead with the congressional board and bring certainty back to the election process for all the citizens of the state of Ohio."
Daniels said that he feels the funds that will have to be put toward the second election could be put toward more constructive uses. "The state pays for this. The taxpayers pay for this, but the cost of this will be funded out of the state budget," Daniels said. "It's an expense that, quite frankly, can be used for better purposes. We could put that money into the local government fund, or in any number of areas that have been cut through the budget process that could be revisited."
The GOP's proposed congressional district places Highland County in a Columbus and eastern Ohio district, with virtually none of its neighboring counties.
It was reported September by The Highland County Press, that a retired mechanical nuclear engineer from Coshocton, has proposed a legislative redistricting map for Ohio which would have kept Highland County in the Third Congressional District, only with more of its neighboring counties. See: http://www.highlandcountypress.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=9805&Sec…
Highland County Democratic Chairperson Dinah Phillips said that she thinks that voter confidence is on the decline, and she feels that having two primaries next year will only confuse and further distance the people the boards of elections and the state legislature serve.
"I just can't see the reasoning and the logic behind holding separate primary elections," Phillips said. "We've not done this at any other time that I've been on the board or chairman of the Democratic Party. I don't know what advantage this is going to be to the public.
"I've talked with other board members from Brown and Adams and Fayette counties in the last three or four days, and they have all indicated their displeasure and dismay to hold a second election. Is it really going to be worth all that expense and worth it to expend that amount of money just for an extra election? Not in my opinion."
"The public has elected these Republicans because they were supposed to be the 'fiscally responsible party,'" Phillips said. "This, in my opinion, is not being fiscally responsible. It is about the most irresponsible thing I think anybody has done in a long time. It's divisive. People are really upset with government, and this is one of the reasons why."
According to the Vindicator, "What the state needs is one primary and a bipartisan map that sets out the 16 congressional districts. With Ohio looming as a key battleground in the 2012 presidential contest, any doubts about the conduct of the election will once again turn the national spotlight on Ohio. That can be avoided if the GOP controlled General Assembly adopts a compromise map that appears to have been worked out by Republican and Democratic legislators. We use the word 'appears' because late last week, GOP leaders were feigning ignorance about the latest congressional district map."
Meanwhile, Thomas Suddes wrote this weekend in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, … "Democrats aren't as pure as the driven snow. But, this time, Republicans are the bad guys in Columbus. That's because, unless something changes between now and Dec. 7, Statehouse Republicans will – because they can – probably make taxpayers pay for two 2012 primary elections (at $15 million each). Districts or no districts, congressional candidates aiming to run in that special June 12 primary are being told to file candidate paperwork by this Wednesday – except that congressional candidates are also on notice they may have to refile by March 14. Got that?
"Any Ohio adult with time on his or her hands should consider volunteering at the Statehouse. Children have hijacked the General Assembly. And, obviously, they need supervision."[[In-content Ad]]