Federal Court Rules Ohio's Congressional Map is Unconstitutional
By: Adam Shaw, Bill Mears | Fox News

A federal court on Friday found Ohio’s congressional map unconstitutional, ordering that a new map be proposed by June ahead of the 2020 elections -- and blocking the state from holding another election under the current map.

“Accordingly, we declare Ohio’s 2012 map an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander, enjoin its use in the 2020 election, and order the enactment of a constitutionally viable replacement,” the decision said.

The case was decided by a three-judge panel in Cincinnati, which ruled unanimously that district boundaries were manipulated by Republican mapmakers, and in a way that violates voters’ rights to choose their representatives democratically.

Voters rights and Democratic groups who sued Republican officials claimed that redistricting after the 2010 census yielded a map with an unbending 12-4 advantage for Republicans. Republicans countered that the map was drawn with bipartisan support and that a new map would be drawn after the 2020 census regardless. They also noted that the map resulted in each party losing a seat -- the delegation was previously 13-5 for Republicans.

Calling it “one of the most egregious gerrymanders in recent history,” the suit used 19-term Rep. Marcy Kaptur, of Toledo, as a witness. Kaptur said her district was "hacked apart," forcing her into a Democratic primary with veteran congressman Dennis Kucinich, of Cleveland, in 2012. She won the contest.

Any appeal on the ruling would likely to go directly to the Supreme Court, and the state may also ask that the current maps be allowed to be used while the appeal process continues.

This is the second time in recent days a federal court has struck down a redistricting map created by a GOP-controlled legislature. Last month, parts of Michigan’s map were also ordered redrawn by a three-judge panel in time for 2020 elections.

More than three-dozen states rely on the state legislature to directly redraw boundaries, now using sophisticated computer models that have the ability to target voters by their street or household. Other states such as California rely on an independent commission to create what supporters say would be less extreme districts.

The Supreme Court is currently deciding separate partisan gerrymandering claims from North Carolina (drawn by the GOP legislature) and Maryland (drawn to advantage the Democrats). Other legal challenges are playing out across the country, including in Virginia and Wisconsin.

The justices are being asked to articulate a clear standard for when partisan gerrymandering becomes unconstitutional. This is something the court has tried and failed to do over the years. How the court decides such rulings, due by June, will affect how appeals from Michigan, Ohio and other states are being handled.

In this technology day and age, it would be so easy to develop an open source GIS model to draw these boundaries based on a predetermined set of logical criteria and keep the politics out of it all together. Sad part is, that will never happen.

These things will always be about politics.

Florida passed an anti-gerrymandering constitutional amendment several years ago, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. The amendment required redrawing districts by existing political (county and city) boundaries, natural boundaries with the requirement that districts be compact; i.e., no snaky boundaries and chopped-up counties/cities. But the legislature pretty much ignored the will of the people and the constitution, using the mandated redraw to settle scores and stick it to the Dems. The state court ended up drawing the map. Politicians just can't bring themselves to be fair and non-partisan so courts will continue to draw boundaries, I'm afraid.

Interesting.... Same thing just happened in Michigan

Same here in VA and each time it seems is dems getting the advantage. I say it’s a concerted effort to give the commies control.

But I like my district. Assholes.

quote:

Originally posted by jcsabolt2:
In this technology day and age, it would be so easy to develop an open source GIS model to draw these boundaries based on a predetermined set of logical criteria and keep the politics out of it all together. Sad part is, that will never happen.

Do you have any idea how many different communities would need to be formed just to get get past that first sentence?

And then there's the new staff they'd need to hire to support debating the concept followed by the additional committees and staff if the first set of committees agree to proceed.

We need a SCOTUS decision once and for all about gerrymandering.

This is a purely political issue, and I've seen nothing in the constitution that says anything even vaguely related to it. That being the case, it's a state issue that should be determined under state laws.

The courts have gotten out of control.

I don't see any likelihood of a computer model being used to draw Congressional district boundaries. There are literally an infinite number of ways to divide a state into areas containing equal numbers of voters, ignoring all considerations of natural and municipal boundaries; including such restrictions only poses minor limitations on the number possible.

Although I agree that districts that have obvious deviations from compactness should be avoided, I'm not sure it is always practical.

No matter who decides the layout, others will be unhappy with it. Most states leave it to the state legislatures to draw the lines, which means that each time the party in power changes, so will the lines.

flashguy

Maryland has been under Democratic rule like forever. At one time we had only one Republican Senator and they re-drew the lines to enable the Dems to win. Our case is before the Supremes now. It will be interesting to see if it is reversed.

Leftists still trying to legislate from the bench. Fascists.

Hopefully a higher court can overturn this?



.

If you like your district, you can keep your district.....

Gerrymandering cuts both ways.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...ngressional_district


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...ngressional_district

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