Democrats might not be up to doing the right thing on redistricting

Paper: Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)

Date: May 14, 2006

There could be hell to pay for Democrats if they overlook a crucial opportunity to help cure Ohio government.

Everything the Democrats claim to stand for in this scandalous election year - reform, bipartisan cooperation, good government - will be horse manure if they become obstructionists.

In the wake of "Coingate" and Gov. Bob Taft's ethics conviction and the intractable ideology that pervades under one-party rule, Democrats righteously pledge to restore honesty and integrity to government if voters elect them in November.

But rather than act like reformers, legislative Democrats sounded more like apologists for the status quo last week as they lamely looked for any excuse to oppose the one proposal that could restore sanity to state government: redistricting reform.

As a campaign issue, it pales next to taxes and health care and education. But a quick way to cure the sick state of politics in Ohio would be to adopt a fair way to draw new legislative and congressional districts.

For decades, Ohio has used a system that awards gerrymandering power every 10 years to the political party that wins two of the three races for governor, secretary of state and state auditor. That power has been abused by both parties, most recently Republicans, who have ensured their legislative majorities by virtually eliminating competitive elections.

Of Ohio's combined 150 congressional and legislative districts, fewer than 25 can be won by either party. The rest are slam-dunks, meaning that lawmakers have to appeal only to their parties' extremes - Republicans to the right, Democrats to the left - to get elected. The result has been a GOP-controlled General Assembly focused more on legislating morality than fixing education or the state's economic problems.

And now a left-leaning Democratic minority in the Ohio House and Senate, emboldened by a terrible election climate for Republicans, seems poised to roll the dice on winning in November rather than endorsing a viable plan to reform redistricting.

Thanks to a pair of Dayton-area Republican House leaders, Speaker Jon A. Husted and Rep. Kevin DeWine, there is such a plan. They worked with Democrats, including Franklin County Treasurer Richard Cordray and former state Rep. Ed Jerse of Cleveland, to craft it.

"I think it's a fair proposal," said Cordray, the party's nominee for state treasurer. "It would force bipartisan compromise, and that's about the best you can do."

After helping last November to defeat State Issue 4, the well-intended but ill-conceived amendment to revamp the process for district-drawing, Husted and DeWine pledged to resurrect redistricting reform and work with Democrats on a solution. This columnist, jaded by years of false promises on the issue, predicted on Nov. 13 that it would be a "cold day in hell" before that happened.

Who could have foreseen that Democrats, the self-righteous reformers, might end up responsible for hell's iciness? Sure, they are bitter about being mistreated during the past 12 years Republicans have controlled the General Assembly. But now, when the Democrats finally have a chance to be statesmen, they appear ready to wilt.

The new plan would create a seven-member commission chosen equally by Democrats and Republicans to draw districts that are compact and competitive. Five of the seven members would have to approve the final map, ensuring support from both parties.

Independent watchdogs, such as the League of Women Voters and Citizen Action, praised it. But within hours of DeWine's unveiling the plan, Democratic leaders were trashing it. Tellingly, their complaints centered less on the details than on their mistrust of Republicans. The Democrats likely will be needed to provide the three-fifths majorities in both houses by Aug. 9 to put the proposal before voters in November.

At a time when no one knows which party will control the line-drawing process after the November election, DeWine and Cordray agreed that there is a short window to end gerrymandering.

"My guess is that after the election this year, it will be too late," Cordray said.

Ohio's entrenched incumbents, including members of Congress who retained their seats by an average margin of 44 points in 2004, will lobby behind-the-scenes against redistricting reform.

But if Democrats end up killing it, they will undermine their rhetoric as reformers and signal more of the same to come in Columbus.

Joe Hallett is senior editor at The Dispatch.

jhallett@dispatch.com

Author: Joe Hallett The Columbus Dispatch

Section: Editorial & Comment

Page: 05B