Senate Republicans on Wednesday delayed a vote on changes to the inherently political process by which Ohio redraws congressional districts. Talks are under way with those pushing a competing reform plan in hopes of reaching a compromise that could mean voters would be presented with one less ballot question on the subject this year. “If I wasn’t optimistic of the chances of that happening, I wouldn’t have started down this path to begin with,” Senate President Larry Obhof (R., Medina) said. But he said it is unlikely Senate Republicans would agree with a plan in which the General Assembly would entirely relinquish control of the process to an outside entity.
State Sen. Mike Skindell (D., Lakewood), a committee member, said Republicans are talking more with Fair Districts Ohio, the coalition of groups pushing a November ballot initiative, than with Senate Democrats.
“As a result of the drawing of the districts after the last census, 12 of these districts are heavily leaning Republican and four are heavily leaning Democrat — a 75 percent, 25 percent split between the parties,” said Benita Kahn of Bexley, an opponent of the GOP proposal.
“A review of the presidential election results in Ohio going back to 1960 shows that during these 57 years no statewide election ever resulted in this same percentage split between Republicans and Democrats,” she said.
Full Article: Vote delayed on GOP remap plan – The Blade.