Sen. Sykes Statement on Ohio Supreme Court Ruling on State Legislative Maps
February 7, 2022
Vernon Sykes News
Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), co-chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, issued the following statement after the Ohio Supreme Court invalidated the new state legislative maps adopted by the Republican members of the commission on January 22. The Court gave the commission until February 17 to draw new, constitutional maps:
“The Supreme Court’s decision today is an example of why it is important that we have three branches of government. The court is requiring us to uphold the wishes of Ohio voters, who are the ultimate authority in our state and who in 2015 reformed the state legislative redistricting process to end gerrymandering and ensure that the General Assembly is representative of the diverse communities that make up our state. I urge the elected officials who represent the other two branches of government to respect the court’s ruling. As the court instructed us to do – simply, we must comply with the Constitution.”
“The Supreme Court’s decision today is an example of why it is important that we have three branches of government. The court is requiring us to uphold the wishes of Ohio voters, who are the ultimate authority in our state and who in 2015 reformed the state legislative redistricting process to end gerrymandering and ensure that the General Assembly is representative of the diverse communities that make up our state. I urge the elected officials who represent the other two branches of government to respect the court’s ruling. As the court instructed us to do – simply, we must comply with the Constitution.”