Redistricting
The redistricting process was formally begun by a legislative panel on June 16, 2011. A proposal released in September 2011 would create 12 districts which favor Republicans and four which favor Democrats. In the proposal, one district which currently favors Republicans would be effectively eliminated, and the homes of six of the state's incumbents would be drawn into districts also containing the homes of other incumbents. The map was passed by the Ohio House of Representatives on September 15 and by the Ohio Senate on September 21. The bill passed by the Senate included an appropriations provision intended to prevent the bill from being placed on the 2012 ballot by petition and was passed again by the House the same day. Governor John Kasich signed the bill into law on September 26.
On September 28, the Ohio Democratic Party filed suit in the Ohio Supreme Court, seeking a ruling on the legality of the Senate's addition of an appropriations provision. On October 14, the Supreme Court ruled that a referendum on the map could go ahead. Ohioans for Fair Districts, the group calling for a referendum, asked the court to restart the 90-day time limit for the collection of signatures; a request the court declined, meaning the 90-day period would begin on September 26 rather than October 14. Chris Redfern, the chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, vowed to collect enough signatures to place the map on the ballot.
If the map had received 66 votes in the House of Representatives, an emergency clause preventing a referendum from being held would have been invoked. As a result, in October 2011 Republicans sought the support of African American Democrats for an alternative map. Later that month members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus met with Redfern, indicating they would not immediately seek to compromise with Republicans; however on October 31 Bob Bennett, the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party appointed by House Speaker William G. Batchelder to negotiate an alternative map, said he thought the two parties were close to reaching an agreement.
On November 3, Batchelder brought a slightly modified map to the floor of the House of Representatives. However, the House fell eight votes short of the 66 needed to bring the map up for a vote without a committee hearing having been held.
Later in November, Ohio Democratic Party communications director Seth Bringman said the referendum effort had surpassed 100,000 signatures and was aiming to have collected the over 230,000 signatures necessary by December 23. However, a lack of funds has since prevented Ohioans for Fair Districts from hiring professional signature gatherers and necessitated the exclusive use of volunteers. Redfern said in December 2011 that Democrats may return to the Supreme Court to request that it reconsider its decision on the 90-day time limit. If the signature-gathering effort fails, an amendment to the Ohio Constitution requiring compact and competitive districts may be sought. If the Democratic Party fails to collect enough signatures, the original map will take effect on Christmas Day 2011.
On December 14, the House of Representatives and Senate both passed a new map.
Read more about this topic: Sharen Neuhardt