The Independent View: OH Supreme Court Rejects Republicans’ Third Set Of State Legislative Maps

The Ohio Supreme Court, for a Third time, has Rejected Republicans’ State Legislative Maps, a move that State Legislative Leaders have said, likely will result in a Delay for at least part of the May Primary.

In a late Wednesday Decision, Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor (R), who is Retiring at the end of the year, once again joined the Court’s Three Democrats in finding the Map Unconstitutionally slanted in favor of Republicans, citing New Redistricting Rules, State Voters Approved as a State Constitutional Amendment in 2015.

The Ruling comes less than Two days before Ohio’s First Round of Ballots, those for Military and Overseas Voters, were set to be Finalized and Mailed.

The Court had deliberated for nearly Three weeks after Republicans, on the Ohio Redistricting Commission, approved the Plan on Feb. 24th.

Meanwhile, the Court’s other Three Republican Justices: Pat DeWine, whose father is Redistricting Commission Member Gov. Mike DeWine, Pat Fischer, and Sharon Kennedy, again said the New State Constitutional Language isn’t Written in a way that gives the Court Authority to Enforce Political Standards on the Maps. A Dissenting Opinion from DeWine and Kennedy said the Late Decision “decrees electoral chaos.”

In the Majority Opinion, Justices took issue with Staff Working for Two Republican Legislative Leaders on the Redistricting Commission: House Speaker Bob Cupp (4th District) and Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman (12th District), Drew the Plan, giving Minority Democrats on the Commission little opportunity for Input or Proposed Changes.

They also said the Plan’s significant number of slightly Democratic-leaning Toss-Up Districts, showed Republican Map-Drawers intended to Maximize their Advantage.

While 54% of the Maps’ Districts favor Republicans, and 46% favor Democrats, the Democratic-Leaning Districts include 26 Districts that favor Democrats by 3 Percentage Points or Less.

The Closest Republican-Leaning District favors the GOP by 5 Percentage Points, and only Four Districts overall favor Republicans by fewer than 10 Percentage Points.