Vote on new Ohio congressional map on track by Thanksgiving

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A definitive map of Ohio’s new congressional districts appeared fast-tracked to be pushed through the Republican-led Legislature before Thanksgiving, over the objections of some voting-rights advocates and Democrats on Tuesday.

At issue is the once-per-decade requirement that states redraw congressional districts to reflect updated census figures. The process has been beset by delays, and Republicans and Democrats have proposed competing maps.

GOP House Speaker Bob Cupp revealed details of an updated version of the map late Monday, ahead of possible committee and floor votes in the Ohio Senate on Tuesday. State Sen. Rob McColley, the bill’s Republican sponsor, told senators while unveiling the map Tuesday that it makes seven of 15 districts competitive, as well as keeping seven of the state’s eight largest cities whole.

Tiffany Rumbalski, a concerned citizen from the Columbus suburb of Hillard, called the latest map “a gut punch” to those who voted for fairness, representation, competitiveness and transparency in a 2018 constitutional amendment.

“What we’re shown is disdain, disrespect and disregard, and the voters feel it,” she said, to rumbles of affirmation from the crowd at a hearing on the map held at the Ohio Statehouse.

The latest outline of U.S. House districts — intended to stand for 10 years — could move to the Ohio House as soon as Wednesday, where committee and floor votes are possible.

Without bipartisan support, the map has to meet certain more rigorous criteria and would last only four years, under constitutional changes overwhelmingly supported by Ohio voters.

“This map is rational, constitutional and it achieves the objectives Ohio voters overwhelmingly endorsed,” Cupp said in a memo accompanying the latest iteration of the highly contentious map. He said the district outlines don’t “unduly favor or disfavor any political party or its incumbents.”

The Equal Districts Coalition, an assemblage of more than 30 Ohio advocacy groups and labor unions engaged in the redistricting process, pushed back against any map that didn’t break down to eight Republican-leaning seats and seven Democratic-leaning seats. Cupp’s map appeared more heavily weighted to Republicans.

The groups say an 8-7 split is fair, given the partisan leanings of Ohioans being roughly 54% Republican, 46% Democratic in votes taken since the last census.

Due to lagging population, Ohio will lose one seat in Congress starting next year — taking it from 16 to 15.