Reform redistricting

The Blade

December 31, 2009

WOULD you support a change in the Ohio Constitution allowing the political party that wins the majority of the elections for governor, auditor, and secretary of state to have the power to influence who represents you and which party controls the legislature for the next decade?

Would you be more likely to support such a change if you knew that under this system the political party that wins a majority of these three offices would have the power to draw new districts that favor their political party and allow gerrymandering by placing few limits on their power?

To most people, this is not a very appealing reform. Rather, it seems like a partisan system that protects the interests of political parties over the wishes of the voters.

In fact, the above description is not a new reform at all - it is Ohio's current system and is considered one of the most partisan in the nation.

In the four decades this system has been in place, it has not served Ohio well. It has largely led to one-party control of state government for decades at a time and immunized many legislators from competitive elections.

Further, this system has contributed to the hyper-partisan atmosphere in state government (and in Congress) because the political leaders who run it can serve their partisan interests and arguably have more power in elections than the voters.

It doesn't have to be this way. We can reform the system, and the time to act is now.

The census, followed by the 2010 elections, will once again commence the redrawing of both legislative and congressional districts. Several constitutional amendments to reform the current system have been proposed. I sponsored one proposal, Senate Joint Resolution 5 (SJR 5) that has passed the Ohio Senate and awaits action in the House.

The reforms in SJR 5 would create a seven-member, bipartisan board that would require a supermajority vote for the drawing of new districts. It would require bipartisan compromise for the drawing of legislative and congressional districts, and would limit the ability of map drawers to gerrymander by including a requirement to keep communities together when drawing district lines.

The deadline for legislative passage of SJR 5 is Feb. 3 if it is to be placed on the ballot for voter consideration in May. Instead of the current system that serves as a winner-take-all partisan power grab, Ohioans can speak loudly to demand bipartisanship, and empower voters at the expense of the politically powerful.

Redistricting reform will return elections to the accountability system they were intended to be. By establishing more competitive districts, voters will be given a greater opportunity to voice their support or displeasure with their elected off<0x200A>icials at the ballot box.

With the prominent place Ohio plays in the elections every four years, we should set an example for the nation by acting as a leader in redistricting reform. If we want our public officials to cast aside partisan goals in favor of bipartisan cooperation, we must do more than change the people in public off<0x200A>ice, we must change the system.

State Sen. Jon Husted (R., Kettering) is a former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives and an announced candidate in the Republican primary for Ohio secretary of state in 2010.

Caption: Sen. Jon Husted

Edition: City Final
Section: Pages of Opinion
Page: A8
Record Number: MERLIN_8778019
Copyright, 2009, The Blade