COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Redistricting Commission met to once again attempt to set redistricting maps for Ohio, hearing testimony Wednesday specifically about a U.S. House of Representatives district map.
This meeting occurred just hours after the redistricting commission filed responses to the Ohio Supreme Court about why the commission should not be held in contempt for not adopting legislative maps last week.
The commission heard public testimony regarding a congressional map for federal representation, but near the end of the meeting, discussed what’s happening with the legislative maps for the Ohio General Assembly.
In the responses filed to the Ohio Supreme Court around noon Wednesday, there was an indication that commissioners were continuing work on those maps this week.
“There is some work being done to find a way to comply with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the constitution and it is proceeding as expeditiously as possible,” Ohio Speaker of the House Bob Cupp said after the meeting went into recess.
Democratic Ohio Senator Vernon Sykes quickly responded, “And again we just want to be included in that work,” alluding to the 5-2 Republican majority of the commission. “We’re part of the commission and so far, we haven’t seen it and haven’t participated in it and can’t verify the work is even being done.”
Cupp and Sykes, the commission’s co-chairpersons, were asked if the staffs were working together.
“We did have a meeting today, 11 o’clock, where all the staffs were invited,” said Sykes. “But all the staffs didn’t participate, particularly with the Speaker’s staff and the President’s staff, did not participate in the meeting.”
Cupp was asked why his staff wasn’t part of that meeting.
“Maybe they were busy working to try to come up with the construct so it would make meeting productive, maybe,” he said. “Who’s to say.”
The commission declared it would recess until 11:30 Thursday morning.
The latest notice for the meeting said the commission will hear additional public testimony of complete congressional maps and any other business.
The Ohio Supreme Court has ordered the state to produce maps that properly represent Ohio’s political makeup, which data from the state says is 54 percent Republican, 46 percent Democratic.