Ohio political parties want to limit their own power in redistricting

Governing Magazine has a good roundup story about Ohio Issue 1, which we’ll be voting on in a few weeks. If passed, it would change how Ohio legislators draw state senate and state rep districts every 10 years in accord with the U.S. Census.

“Ohio politicians have long talked about changing the redistricting process, but, if approved, this would be the first major change to it in more than 40 years, according to Brittany Warner, communications director for the Ohio Republican Party,” writes Daniel Vock. “The 66 members of the state’s Republican central committee ‘found the plan to be transparent, accountable and fair, so they endorsed the issue,’ she said.

“Democrats are on board, too — although the chair of the state party, David Pepper, said they would prefer an independent redistricting commission like the ones in Arizona and California. But voters soundly defeated a proposal to do that in 2012.

“‘If you’re going to have it be the politicians doing redistricting, which is less than ideal, I think it provides a structure that pretty creatively incentivizes doing it the right way,’ Pepper said.”

Pepper also told Vock, “The direct result of gerrymandering is non-stop, very far right, extreme legislating. Hopefully the outcome of fair districts is a much more measured approach by our state legislature.”

Read the full Governing Magazine story here.