Democratic lawmakers testify on compromise congressional map that incorporates citizen feedback
Today, Reps. Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester) and Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) testified on their compromise congressional district map, House Bill 483, before the House Government Oversight Committee. The Democratic lawmakers said their compromise proposal is a more realistic vision for Ohio compared to the widely criticized House and Senate Republican maps, both of which unduly favor Republican candidates 13-2.
“Ohioans told us in no uncertain terms that they wanted to see maps that keep our largest cities whole. Our compromise map delivers. It’s fair, compact and keeps communities together. It passes the eye test and the analysis backs it up. It’s a good map,” said Rep. Brown. We’re under the gun to pass a bipartisan, 10-year map. To meet our obligation to the voters, it’s going to take compromise.”
Democrats say their map limits unwarranted splits in Ohio’s largest counties, keeps more communities together, and better reflects the preferences of Ohio voters. They also said their map is also more compact than the House Republican proposal and creates three minority opportunity districts.
“Our compromise map incorporates citizen feedback. It’s fair, compact and keeps our largest cities together. Above all, it adheres to the constitution without contorting district boundaries to maximize partisan advantage,” said Rep. Galonski. “This is a realistic compromise that can garner the bipartisan support we need to pass the long-term maps voters expect of us. The last thing we need is for Republicans to rush through a partisan, four-year map that invites a veto from the governor or a referendum by Ohio voters.”