GOP proposes new redistricting panel Plan calls for input from both parties

Paper: Plain Dealer, The ( Cleveland, OH)

Date: May 5, 2006

The biased, one-party process for drawing Ohio political districts would be erased and remade by a nonpartisan commission under a plan introduced Thursday by Republican House leaders.

"Nobody can honestly look at this and say that it is an unfair proposal, that it favors one party over another," said Rep. Kevin DeWine, a Dayton-area Republican and the resolution's sponsor.

But with a similar redistricting proposal overwhelmingly rejected by voters just six months ago, House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty said lawmakers should move on to more-pressing matters, like the economy.

"We are all like-minded, that this is something that we are not going to support at this point," Beatty, a Columbus Democrat, said.

DeWine's resolution has the support of House Speaker Jon Husted and is intended to show up on November's election ballot as a constitutional amendment. To get there, it needs approval from 60 percent of both the House and Senate.

The current system for drawing congressional and legislative districts in Ohio is done by panels dominated by a single political party - currently Republicans.

The result has been boundaries favorable to a single party and thus leading to few competitive political races.

The House redistricting plan represents a compromise between backers of Issue 4 - an idea with similar intent soundly defeated by voters last November - and Republicans who fought to defeat that measure.

"It's simpler and it's a good compromise," Ed Jerse said of the new proposal. Jerse was one of the principals behind Issue 4, backed mainly by Democrats, who agreed to work with DeWine on the House proposal.

Jerse admits that Issue 4 was too heavily focused on making competitiveness a criterion for setting boundaries, a flaw that could have joined communities with divergent interests into the same district.

Currently, the Apportionment Board - which includes the governor, secretary of state and auditor - draws state legislative maps. And the General Assembly sets the congressional boundaries.

Now could be a good time for Republicans to try to change the system, since Democrats have their first decent chance in years to take control of the Apportionment Board. And Democrats might have a newfound interest in keeping it the same.

There would still be another election in 2010 before the districts are scheduled to be redrawn, and the Apportionment Board could change again. But the new officeholders elected this year figure to have an easier time being re-elected.

Under the resolution, a seven-member independent commission would handle both maps.

The commission would consist of two Democrats and two Republicans. Those four lawmakers would have to unanimously agree on each of the other three.

Anyone in the public could propose district boundaries. The commission would weigh district "competitiveness" equally with other criteria such as not splitting cities or allowing districts to meander.

A map could be approved only by a supermajority of five votes - with at least one vote from each political party and from the group of three.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: rfields@plaind.com, 1-800-228-8272

Author: Reginald Fields

Section: Metro

Page: B1