Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine on Thursday rejected a proposal that would change how Ohio draws its congressional districts. But supporters say they have plenty of time to resubmit their constitutional amendment and collect the signatures to put it on the November 2018 ballot. Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio last week submitted its proposed constitutional amendment and a summary to appear on petitions. DeWine cited two errors where the summary language did not match the proposed Bipartisan Congressional Redistricting Reform Amendment. DeWine’s office is the first stop for any proposed ballot measure. DeWine’s job is not to judge the merit of proposed ballot initiatives but to certify that the amendment summary that will appear on petitions accurately summarizes the amendment.
Catherine Turcer of Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio said the group plans to begin collecting the initial batch of signatures in a few days and will resubmit the language.
“Redistricting reformers have been at this for a very long time,” Turcer said. “It’s a minor hurdle and we’ll get right back at it tomorrow.”
Once certified by DeWine, the Ohio Ballot Board then decides whether the amendment is one or multiple issues. Then backers must collect at least 305,591 signatures of registered Ohio voters to qualify for the statewide ballot.
Full Article: Ohio attorney general rejects congressional redistricting amendment language | cleveland.com.