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Sen. Husted, Rep. Letson: Compromise possible on redistricting
The sponsors of competing plans to change how Ohio draws state legislative districts expressed guarded optimism on Monday, March 1, that the House and Senate can agree on a compromise proposal for the November ballot.
“I’m hopeful. I really am,” said Rep. Tom Letson, D-Warren, sponsor of House Joint Resolution 15, that is pending in the Democratic- controlled House.
“I would say it’s possible,” said Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 5, already approved by the GOP-controlled Senate.
Letson and Husted said action is needed within the next two months to 10 weeks. After that, they said, either the Democrats or Republicans will have a better idea of which party is likely to control redistricting under the current system and one or the other one would be unlikely to go along with an overhaul.
Husted’s proposal would do away with the five-member Apportionment Board, made up of the governor, auditor, secretary of state and a legislator from each party. The party that controls two of the three statewide seats on the board controls redistricting. It draws legislative districts after each census.
His plan would instead set up a seven-member commission - governor, auditor, secretary of state, House speaker, Senate president and House and Senate minority leaders. A five-vote supermajority would be required to adopt a redistricting plan. Also, at least two votes would have to come from commission members not in the majority party.
The new commission also would draw U.S. House districts. The legislature now draws the U.S. House districts.
Compactness and competitiveness would be emphasized in drawing new districts under the plan.
Letson’s plan would not change how U.S. House districts are drawn. Letson said his plan “will take the politics out of the reapportionment process.”
It calls for Ohio citizens after each census - including the 2010 census - to submit proposals to the Apportionment Board based on: competitive fairness; political competitiveness; communities of interest and compactness.
The board would administer the process but district lines would be determined by the winner of a public competition using the predetermined criteria.
Challenges would be settled by a judicial tribunal.
Both spoke at a Redistricting Forum Monday in Columbus, sponsored by the Midwest Democracy Network,the League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund and the Money in Politics progrect of Ohio Citizen Action.
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