Sen. Steve Huffman of Tipp City will be one of eight Republicans on the panel, co-chaired by Rep. Adam Bird, R-Richmond, and Sen. Jane Timken, R-Jackson Twp.
The committee was put together in accordance with a mandate in the Ohio Constitution, which states that a joint House and Senate committee must hold at least two public hearings before the legislature can pass any congressional redistricting plan.
The committee’s first public meeting will be held on Sept. 22.
The legislature has until the end of the month to pass a congressional redistricting plan, but it must come with bipartisan support.
If that deadline is missed, the responsibility will fall on a seven-member, Republican-controlled Ohio Redistricting Commission, which must also meet in public twice and find bipartisan support on a plan before Oct. 31.
If that next deadline is missed, the responsibility would again fall on the legislature, which could pass a map along partisan lines before Nov. 30. Any partisan map would, though, can not “unduly” favor one party over the other and would be subject to review from the Ohio Supreme Court.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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