Ohio Voters Ask State Supreme Court to Begin Contempt Proceedings Against Ohio Redistricting Commission
The commission tweaked previously invalidated maps Monday night, rejecting in the 11th hour legislative plans prepared by independent map drawers
Yesterday, petitioners in Ohio Organizing Collaborative v. Ohio Redistricting Commission joined a motion filed by petitioners Bria Bennett et al. with the Ohio Supreme Court, asking the court to require the commission to explain why it has not complied with the court’s orders to adopt maps that do not violate the state constitution’s prohibition on partisan gerrymandering. The motion urges the court to start contempt proceedings against the commission and stay the implementation of the maps the commission adopted on Monday night. The commission had abandoned maps drawn by independent map-drawers in favor of a slightly tweaked version of a plan that the court had previously invalidated as unconstitutional.
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and Reed Smith represent petitioners Ohio Organizing Collaborative, CAIR-Ohio, Ohio Environmental Council, Ahmad Aboukar, Crystal Bryant, Samuel Gresham Jr., Prentiss Haney, Mikayla Lee, and Pierrette “Petee” Talley.
Alicia Bannon, director of the Judiciary Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, had the following comment:
“The Ohio Redistricting Commission continues to openly defy the Ohio Supreme Court, and it must be held accountable. Ohio’s constitution bans partisan gerrymandering because an overwhelming majority of Ohioans voted to add that prohibition. The people of Ohio deserve legislative districts whose boundaries are fair, not maps rigged for one party’s benefit.”
Patrick Yingling, partner at Reed Smith, had the following comment:
“Again, the Ohio Supreme Court issued clear orders that the commission failed to follow. The commission owes the court an explanation and the people of Ohio fair maps.”
The motion, the court’s order, and more filings and background on Ohio Organizing Collaborative v. Ohio Redistricting Commission are available here.
Resources:
- “In Court to Fight Ohio’s Gerrymandered Maps” Sam Gresham, petitioner and chair of Common Cause Ohio
- “Ohio Supreme Court Rejects Third Set of Legislative Maps Over Partisan Gerrymandering,” Brennan Center for Justice press release, March 17, 2022
- “Petitioners Ask Ohio Supreme Court to Reject Redrawn Legislative Maps and Order Commission to Consider Rodden Maps,” Brennan Center for Justice press release, Feb. 28, 2022
- “Ohio Voters File Motion to Intervene in Federal Redistricting Suit that Would Impose Unfair Maps,” Brennan Center for Justice press release, Feb. 25, 2022
- “Ohio Supreme Court Orders Second Redrawing of Legislative Maps Due to Partisan Gerrymandering,” Brennan Center for Justice press release, Feb. 7, 2022
- “Victory for Ohioans: Ohio Supreme Court Throws Out Legislative Maps for Illegal Partisan Gerrymandering,” Brennan Center for Justice press release, Jan. 12, 2022
- “COVID Inequities Show Why Ohio’s Fair Map Mandate Must Not Be Ignored” by Jeniece Brock, policy and advocacy director, Ohio Organizing Collaborative
- “Ohio Take Note: Fairness Is a Universal Value” by Tala Dahbour, policy director, CAIR-Ohio
- “How Gerrymandering Contributes to Environmental Injustice” by Callia Téllez, environmental policy fellow, Ohio Environmental Council
- “Lawmaker’s ‘Rigged’ Map Would Steal Ohioans’ Right to Representation” by Kathleen Clyde and Greg Moore, co-chairs, Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission
- “We’re Suing Ohio Over Its Gerrymandered Voting District Maps” by Alicia Bannon, Yurij Rudensky, and Julia Kirschenbaum, Brennan Center for Justice
