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Today’s Links
Articles:
City Beat/Ohio Capitol Journal:  Redistricting Commission: Leave Unconstitutional Maps for 2022 Election
Supreme Court of Ohio Clerk of Court – Filed May 09, 2022 – Case No. 2021-1198
ACLU Summary:   LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OHIO, ET AL. V. OHIO REDISTRICTING COMMISSION (CONGRESSIONAL MAP
Groups Taking Action:
ACLU of Ohio, League of Women Voters OH, Campaign Legal Center, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Ohio Organizing Collaborative

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the voting booth in Ohio . . .

The Ohio Redistricting Commission has doubled down on implementing a rigged state legislative voting map.  Back in May as we reported, a federal court panel refused to hear an appeal, and returned it to the state to create a new map, not budging on moving the August 2nd state primary date.

Now with the clock ticking, the Ohio Capitol Journal reports that Gov. Mike DeWine & Secretary of State Frank LaRose are pushing for the gerrymandered February version of map because the Ohio Redistricting Commission is quote, “Out of options.”   Fair maps advocates have asked the courts to hold the Commission members in contempt, and to order new fair maps by the end of the week.

The February map was one of three maps rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court as being manipulated for partisan advantage.  In May, the federal court of appeals panel ordered that the map approved in February would be the default if the state could not draw a new map by May 28th.  Instead of doing the right thing and drawing a fair map, the Ohio Redistricting Commission submitted another gerrymandered one, which was again rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court.

It’s not clear whether the August 2nd primary could be invalidated due to the lack of time for candidates to conduct a campaign.    We’re going to need a bigger booth . . . 

More details on this saga are available at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  

Granny D said “Democracy is not something we have, it’s something we DO.”  

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

The post American Democracy Minute for July 20, 2022: Ohio Redistricting Commission Doubles Down on Rigged Voting Map Just Weeks Before Aug. 2 Primary appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

Listen: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/americandemocracyminute/episodes/2022-05-11T08_01_15-07_00

Check out organizations working on redistricting in our featured states today:
Ohio:   Fair Maps Ohio
South Carolina:  ACLU SC & South Carolina Conference of the NAACP
New Hampshire:  Open Democracy Action & League of Women Voters NH

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping your government by and for the people.

We have a mixed bag of updates on redistricting from Ohio, South Carolina & New Hampshire today.

We reported that in Ohio, the redistricting maps for Ohio House & Senate made by the state’s redistricting commission were struck down in April by the Ohio Supreme Court.  Then, a federal court gave the state a deadline of May 28th to redraw the maps, but despite an attempt to broker a deal by Governor Mike DeWine, the redistricting commission adjourned without a plan for redrawing the maps.   The federal court’s directive was to create new maps, or default to another Republican plan already found unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Next to South Carolina, where a settlement will allow a redrawing of the state legislative maps for five counties to allow majority minority communities to elect candidates more reflective of the population.   The suit had argued that the gerrymandered maps diluted Black voting power in violation of the 14th and 15th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Finally to New Hampshire, where Governor Chris Sununu signed badly gerrymandered NH Senate and Executive Council maps, despite his claims he would veto unfair maps.    The NH Senate map was engineered to create a veto-proof majority for Republicans in an almost equally-divided state.  New Hampshire has yet to settle its gerrymandered Congressional districts. 

We have links to organizations working on Democracy issues in these states at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.

Granny D said, “Democracy is not  something we have, it’s something we DO.” 

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

The post American Democracy Minute for May 12, 2022: A Mixed Bag of Redistricting Updates for OH, SC & NH appeared first on American Democracy Minute.