Sen. Sykes Comments on Redistricting Lawsuit
September 23, 2021
Vernon Sykes News
Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), co-chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, released the following statement after the ACLU of Ohio, the American Civil Liberties Union and Covington & Burling LLP filed a lawsuit at the Ohio Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the state legislative maps adopted by the Ohio Redistricting Commission last week:
“Thanks to the redistricting reform overwhelmingly passed by Ohio voters in 2015, the Ohio Constitution not only outlines how lawmakers can draw state legislative maps, but also what constitutes a fair, non-gerrymandered map. Unfortunately, the maps adopted last week by the Republican members of the Redistricting Commission do not comply with those requirements. They favor one political party and do not meet the litmus test of fairness and proportionality described by the Constitution.”
“Thanks to the redistricting reform overwhelmingly passed by Ohio voters in 2015, the Ohio Constitution not only outlines how lawmakers can draw state legislative maps, but also what constitutes a fair, non-gerrymandered map. Unfortunately, the maps adopted last week by the Republican members of the Redistricting Commission do not comply with those requirements. They favor one political party and do not meet the litmus test of fairness and proportionality described by the Constitution.”