Leader Sykes calls for legislature to take necessary steps as Redistricting Commission likely to miss Oct. 31 deadline

Ohio Redistricting Commission member and House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) Monday sent a letter to House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) and Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) requesting the General Assembly take the necessary steps to be able to consider congressional district maps should the Ohio Redistricting Commission fail to approve maps by their Oct. 31 deadline. 

Cupp and Huffman failed to meet the legislature’s Sept. 30 deadline to pass a map and the Ohio Redistricting Committee is unlikely to meet its Oct. 31 deadline.

Under the constitutional reforms Ohio voters overwhelmingly passed in 2018, the legislature must create a joint committee to hear testimony on two occasions on a congressional district proposal. Speaker Cupp and President Huffman have yet to set the framework for the legislature to begin debate on congressional maps. 

“On Monday, November 1st the Congressional maps will move back to the responsibility of the legislature and there are a number of decisions that will need to be made to be able to begin those deliberations,” wrote Leader Sykes.

In her letter, Leader Sykes called for:

• The convening of a joint legislative committee no later than Nov. 4;
• The release of the details of how many officials will be appointed to the committee;
• The bill detailing the congressional plan to be released by Nov. 10;
• A public hearing schedule to be released with hearings beginning no later than Nov. 15.