Up first - this from the Senate GOP who apparently lost their copy of the Court’s latest order which (to me!) pretty clearly laid out guidance for how this was supposed to go.
Waiting until day 7 or 8 of 10 to convene? Not what they ordered.
OHIO’S POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO GERRYMANDER!
It is ✨entirely possible✨ to draw #FairMaps for Ohio even taking political geography into account. You just need the political will to do so. The GOP doesn’t have it.
If you’re looking for maps that meet all of the constitutional criteria - incl the anti-partisan gerrymandering rules - there are DOZENS to choose from!
✅The Dems
✅Mapping experts from lawsuits
✅Fair maps groups
✅Every day Ohioans
The hang up is the GOP gerrymandering 😵💫
ALSO THIS!
If you had time to fly to and from LA to watch the Super Bowl, you SURELY had enough time to abide by a court order (the third!) to adopt #FairMaps.
Can’t imagine the Court will like any of how this is going down, but…that’s just me 🤷♀️😬
The Court held that if it’s possible to meet all criteria (and it is - they held up a map that does), the Commission MUST do so. Not just *attempt* to do so. Must 👏🏼 do 👏🏼 it👏🏼
DeWine, a lawyer, knows this. Using “attempt” here is doing a lot 😤
Does, uh...anyone have the *text* of this amendment?
It is - in a shock to literally no one who follows Statehouse politics - not listed online, so Ohioans have no idea what language is included here or what the impact is of the amendment to this otherwise unrelated bill!
EVEN IF the Ct upholds this latest partisan gerrymander of our state leg maps, the earliest they could do that is prob next Monday (1/31), just TWO DAYS before the current filing deadline.
How does that make any logistic (let alone accessibility) sense?
I'm at home (if they're not accepting testimony, I'll pass on unnecessary potential covid exposures at the Statehouse thank u!), but hearing that everyone *was* in the room, but Faber, Cupp, and Huffman just walked out.
We cannot out organize partisan and racial gerrymandering.
We cannot out organize rampant voter suppression laws.
Our democracy needs a lifeline. And so do we.
As someone who has spent her career organizing in a state that is an unfortunate trailblazer in voter suppression laws and gerrymandering and which has suffered under the devastating impacts of both of those, I cannot possibly overstate how desperately we need that lifeline.
How infuriating to find ourselves begging for our elected officials at various levels to stand up for our democracy and to deliver a lifeline of protection to preserve our most fundamental American right.
And how exhausting that we still have to put up such a fight.
(Not so?) Fun fact: Rep. Russo is Minority Leader-Elect because the House hasn't been in session and, thus, an official vote hasn't been held to swear her into this role.
Glad she's serving on the Comm'n, tho, bc she'll be a strong champ for #FairMaps!
Compromise isn’t what our reforms were about, it’s about fair districting. We’re not here to compromise on our rights to be adequately represented; we’re here for actually #FairMaps.
If that’s not what the GOP is offering, no one owes them bipartisan support. Period.
LaRose is right to say people should pick their politicians (not the other way around), but I’ll be curious to see how far he goes to fight for the transparent process we demanded in our reforms.
So far, we’re convening this commission just 26 days before the first deadline. 😑
This interview was full of gems, so here this thread goes 🙈
LaRose calling a list of *actual provisions* in HB294 “Dem talking points” is really somethin’ else. The bill will actually make it harder for BIPOC, students, rural, elderly, poor voters & those w disabilities to vote
Late addition to the Gov Oversight Cmtee schedule tmrw? SB 237, a new Stand Your Ground Bill.
Not scheduled for any hearings? SB 183 (backgrnd chks) or 184 (red flag) - both bipartisan and supported by Ohioans.
When folks demanded the OH Leg #DoSomething, it wasn’t to intro SYG
📣 Now what?
☎️ Cinci folks: call your state Sen. Johnson (614) 466-8082
☎️ Everyone else: call Cmtee Chair Sen. Coley to ask where the hearings are on SB 183, 184 -these bills will save lives, have bipartisan support, and are supported overwhelmingly by Ohioans (614)466-8072
A reminder: 90% of Ohioans support background checks and a majority of us want *stricter* laws on gun access.
SYG laws are quite the opposite. The reintro of this bill (as the others stall) is exactly why we need #FairMaps - our state leg isn’t moving bills voters want.