Public Comment

What the Republican member on the Commission did last night constituted flagrant disregard for the voters of Ohio and the Ohio Supreme Court, which directed that NEW maps must be drawn. The deliberate delay in hiring independent mapmakers was instrumental in engineering this fiasco. The decision to approve maps that were previously thrown out by the Court, albeit with a few tweaks, reeks of blatant partisanship. It is my fervent hope that these maps will also get thrown out by the Court, the GOP members will be charged with contempt, and that the primary will be delayed. And, by the way, the taxpayers should get a rebate on the fees paid to the independent mapmakers. The GOP members of the commission should be ordered to pay their fees instead. I am totally disgusted!

The fact that Ohioans cannot get a fair redistricting map in time for the election is truly disgusting. We elect members of the House and Senate to go to Columbus and work to resolve problems not cause them. Shame on you for ignoring the people who sent you to Columbus believing that you would make a difference in a positive way, as an adult"someone who is committed to making Ohio a better place rather than a national laughingstock. Stop acting like bad children and instead become responsible adults and solve this redistricting problem.

It was disgusting on March 28, before the court deadline, as Republican members of the ORD flouted the rulings of the Ohio Supreme Court and pushed through at the last moment a map already ruled unconstitutional A map tweaked in private and presented without detail or opportunity for amendments or input from minority members of the commission and certainly without any public input. We watched, yet again, members of the commissions drag their feet during the independent mapmaking process and ignore the will of Ohio voters in 2015 and 2018. On live video feed we saw mapmakers stand by as equipment was delayed and set up, meetings were delayed, guidance was refused, data was delayed, and Republicans continually stated this process will not work. On live feed we observed two diligent and professional map makers paid almost $50,000 each, working to develop fair and constitutional maps. Ohio has yet again been ill served and led in this folly by Huffman and Cupp.

I never thought for a second that the Republicans were genuine in drawing a fair map. I thought from the get go they were only pretending to try and come up with a fair map. I'll never vote for another Republican. They really don't care about our country. They only care about maintaining their power and even increasing it if possible. Until the vast majority of Ohioan citizens wake up and understand how these poiticians stand in front of the camera and outright lie to us nothing will ever change. I'm so angry right now I need a chill pill!

This is outrageous; where are the armed men to come in and take the protesters away? Where are they? This kind of behavior is... is... never tolerated in real countries. You shout like that, they put you in jail. Right Away. Blow deadlines? Jail. Right away, no trial no nothing. Commission Presidents we have a special jail just for Commissioners. Playing music too loud? right to jail, right away. Charging too high prices for, uh, mapmakers... yes right to jail.

I wish the five of them could feel the shame. Perhaps Ohio had a democracy, once - but never again in my lifetime.

Shameful.

The most infuriating part in this whole charade has been the blatant & utter disrespect flouted towards the public. That's the only way to describe the ruse that was shamelessly stuffed down our throats tonight.

The introduction of the GOP's secret bunker drawn maps, in the last few hours before the deadline, are the perfect showcase of their disrespect towards Ohioans. B/c what was the point of hiring independent map makers in the first place? Map makers who were paid, by Ohio tax payers, $400+ an hour for maps that the GOP commissioners voted down MOMENTS after they were complete.

Why subject us to theater? Why not cut out the spectacles & games? Save us time by just passing the gerrymandered maps that you were going to pass anyway, during the first meeting after the court's orders. I'd have more respect for people who stand proud in their disregard for the constituents they serve, than people who try to veil their shame & utter disrespect of the law by blaming it on "tHe pRoCeSS

All the voters, you remember them..requested of the Republican redistricting map makers was truth, honesty and integrity.. and it's impossible for you to deliver.. You are an embarrassment to Ohioans as well as America..

Ohioans voted overwhelmingly for fair and free elections but republicans on the Redistricting Commission failed for a fourth time with total disregard for the voters of Ohio to respect the court order to stop gerrymandered maps! Huffman was only concerned about himself and other state senators safe elections! Watching the independent map makers work and the commission meetings it became clear yesterday that Huffman and Cupp were not interested in bipartisan cooperation or even pretending to be interested fair maps! Time for the Supreme Court to give the republicans consequences!

As a taxpayer, I respectfully ask for a refund for my wasted taxes on the hiring of two consultants who I and other taxpayers allotted $415/hr per person to create constitutional maps, which they successfully did. Furthermore, as an employee who is accountable to my boss for the work I do, I further request the resignation of the obstructing GOP members of the Redistricting Commission, since our republic was founded and chartered where politicians are accountable to the people. The delays by the GOP members were intentional and it was obvious. No other employee who misses their deadline gets to feign that the job was too hard to do. We simply don't have the right talent in the roles you serve in. You were expected to come up with a plan to pass fair maps and you failed to do that. I'm insulted that the GOP members assume Ohioans aren't paying attention or that we'll forget. A 70% majority of us voted for Fair Maps. You have yet to deliver. Resign and don't bother running again.

We have two very qualified people making maps that represents the voters of Ohio and then it is completely ignored and thrown to the side. Absolutely embarrassing and uncalled for to not make something work. Do better!!

absolutely embarrassed to be from Ohio right now

The Republican members of the Redistricting Commission have demonstrated a flagrant disregard of the Constitution and have deliberately defied the Supreme Court's orders. The argument that the professional mapmakers did not have enough time to draw the maps, but the Republican mapmakers could come up with an acceptable map in a few hours is absurd.
The focus on population deviation to the detriment of the other criteria shows a disregard for the will of the voters expressed in the two Constitutional amendments approved by more than 70% of the voters.

Your dishonest tactics of behind the scenes workings rely on blind allegiance and adherence to party loyalty- nothing more. You are truly not about having an educated citizenry that thinks critically, nor are you concerned for the average Ohioan. You are certainly not about justice and fair play. Shame on you for your dishonesty and disregard for hard working folks who are left paying for your game playing. We are paying for maps that fairly and justly represent us. Let the map makers' maps that reflect transparency and accountability be put before the court!

What the majority party on the Commission has done is insulting to ALL OHIO VOTERS. The Ohio Supreme Court was very clear. The majority party on this Commission thinks they are smarter than every Ohio voter. They feel they are BETTER than every Ohio voter. They are insulting every single Ohio voter. This was supposed to be a collaborative process. May all who read this go out and get to work. The Commission is trying to kill Democracy. For all who read this: WE WILL NOT LET DEMOCRACY DIE. Remember what they did today!

No one wants these games Cupp. Give us what we voted for! Fair Maps!

Moved here from Michigan where a worked as volunteer for Citizens Redistricting Commission.
Watching your commission, as it finishes tonight brings to mind several descriptive words.
EMBARRASSING, SHAMEFUL, LAUGHABLE, INSULTING, ILLEGAL, CONTEMPTUOUS, AND FINALLY BREAKING THE OATH YOU TOOK WHEN ACCEPTING YOUR CURRENT POSITIONS!

What the Republicans who are on the fair maps committee, are doing right now ( March 28th at 9:43) is an outrage! This is not what democracy looks like. As an Ohio voter, I voted in 2018, that the gerrymandered Ohio election maps, be redrawn fairly. Now, at this time, Republicans again, are attempting to ignore the will of the majority of the voters.

I'm watching tonight's meeting (3/28), and am appalled by the delay tactics being used and the attempt to pass off yet another gerrymandered map and make lame excuses for why it should be accepted. This is a complete farce and waste of time. The Commission hired mapmakers and a mediator and promised a public, transparent process and full cooperation with ALL members of the Commission. The Court tried to come up with an improved process, and Republican members of the Commission have continued to circumvent its ruling.

Just so you know " we all predicted this plan of yours last week as soon as the Supreme Court struck down your 3rd failure. You are not fooling anyone with your attempt to stage your own little coup in Ohio. If you had shame, it would have stopped you by now. And if you had shame, you'd fall on your swords and do us the honor of vacating the seats you dishonor daily.

Republican members -- you may have power, and maybe money, but you have absolutely no integrity. You have proved yourselves disingenuous, dishonest, venal, and corrupt, in full view of the world. Shame on you all.

Let the independent mapmakers finish their work! Reverting to tweaks of the 2/24/22 maps rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court is a travesty of justice. Ohio voters will not let this stand. If you thwart the will of our constitutional amendments, we will pass new amendments that will totally remove corrupt politicians from the redistricting process. Be forewarned!

Let the independent mapmakers finish their work! Reverting to tweaks of the 2/24/22 maps rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court is a travesty of justice. Ohio voters will not let this stand. If you thwart the will of our constitutional amendments, we will pass new amendments that will totally remove corrupt politicians from the redistricting process. Be forewarned!

We want fair maps! These guys are gaslighting the ohio voters!

Watching this afternoon, I was shocked at the delays and suggestions that backup maps be available that were drawn outside of the public/transparent process.

The commission has instructions from the court.
Get the work done.

The Ohio Supreme Court ordered that new maps be created by the entire Ohio Redistricting Committee and all work done in public view.

Has there been GOP mapmakers working in secret outside of public view to create another set of maps in direct violation of the Ohio Supreme Court's order?

If this group persists in its refusal to comply with the State Constitution and Supreme Court directives, they need to be held in contempt, and spend some time in jail. At the very least, they should be removed from office/made ineligible to run for any other state office. You all took oaths of office to uphold both the state and US Constitutions. Now do it.

Okay, ladies and gentlemen. It is time to stop playing your political games. Draw the maps, draw them fairly, and keep our children's future in mind. To divide school districts between 2 representatives is a recipe for disaster. It should not be this difficult. Put on your Nikes and just do it.

Please stop wasting people's time and money by dragging your heels on the redistricting maps. We all do not have time for your nonsense. You all have been told three times by the Ohio Supreme Court that your maps do not pass constitutional muster. You had all LAST YEAR to set up public meetings and get set up before the Census data came in, you KNEW the existing maps were gerrymandered, prompting the constitutional amendments, so updating the existing maps with new data and tweaking them a bit was never going to fly. You now have a set of compliant maps produced by a bipartisan mapping team, as DIRECTED by the Ohio Supreme Court. Tweak THOSE if you need to, but for the love of God stop acting like a pack of 8-year-olds trying to get out of cleaning their rooms.
p.s. The change from a gerrymandered to a fair map aways meant that some incumbents would lose their seats. So, they run in a new district. Maybe they will win, but they will have earned it this time.

Please consider the maps from the experts. You are wasting the taxpayers time. The Democrats gave you maps that were made from the amendments. Please use those, you are still the majority & they are legal based on the amendments!

The proposal to swap in a new map at the last minute which has apparently been created in a backroom outside of public sight is absolutely outrageous.

It is an affront to both the Ohio Supreme Court and the voters of Ohio to swap in a last minute map created in violation of the Ohio Supreme Court's order to create a map by the full commission and in public view.

The maps created by the independent map makers appear to be fully constitutional and should be adopted.

You do not deserve to hold office if you support this effort.

I will encourage the Ohio Supreme Court to hold you in contempt if you do.

GOP Ohio once again proves to be cowards, afraid of fairness, the law and voters.
I sincerely hope the Ohio Supreme Court cites all of you for contempt and immediately jails the five Repugnican members. (no typo intended). You should be released only when you've complied with the voter-approved Ohio Redistricting statutes.
Power corrupts absolutely.

I have been encouraged over the past several days that the Ohio Redistricting Commission had finally adopted a transparent, collaborative map-making process, with mapmakers and a mediator involved in helping along decisions.

I was horrified to learn this evening that once again Senator Huffman has hijacked the process. Instead of getting collaborative maps made with input from members of the entire commission, we look to be on a course to get a set of tweaks to the map that was previously found to be unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

This is ridiculous. I hope that if this one-party, backroom map passes tonight that the Ohio Supreme Court comes down hard on all of you. You should all be sentenced to jail and left there until you can collaboratively pass a map without the nonstop game playing.

Let the process that we have been on continue and work with the mediator and mapmakers to pass a collaborative map.

I have been encouraged over the past several days that the Ohio Redistricting Commission had finally adopted a transparent, collaborative map-making process, with mapmakers and a mediator involved in helping along decisions.

I was horrified to learn this evening that once again Senator Huffman has hijacked the process. Instead of getting collaborative maps made with input from members of the entire commission, we look to be on a course to get a set of tweaks to the map that was previously found to be unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

This is ridiculous. I hope that if this one-party, backroom map passes tonight that the Ohio Supreme Court comes down hard on all of you. You should all be sentenced to jail and left there until you can collaboratively pass a map without the nonstop game playing.

Let the process that we have been on continue and work with the mediator and mapmakers to pass a collaborative map.

2 men were hired to make fair and constitutional maps for Ohio. They were working to do this and seemed to be getting close. It appears they were getting too close. Their work was discarded and the decision made to return to maps ruled to be unconstitutional with small changes.
Arrogant and shameful and unconstitutional.

Ohioans voted to have fair districts. Running out the clock like this is absolutely reprehensible. You wasted taxpayers money for this charade.

This reversion to previously rejected maps by the Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission is reprehensible. We know these maps are unconstitutional. Tweaking them goes against what the Ohio Supreme Court has ordered be done. This is not what Ohioans voted for TWICE to amend the constitution and address.

The Ohio voters deserve fair maps that follow the Ohio Constitution. This is what the voters wanted and the commission is obligated to follow the rules laid out in our constitution. The objective of the maps is not to help incumbents but to make sure that voters are represented fairly. This is what is necessary for us to have a democracy.

Taking mapmakers off the work of finishing compliant maps to focus instead on modifying maps that the OSC has already struck down is an unbelievable move, even for the Republicans on this commission who have shown themselves unwilling to listen to Ohio voters and the courts. I echo House Minority Russo's statement: This is a classic, keep a map in the can and bring it out at the last minute.

You can't successfully draw maps per the Ohio constitution and yet you expect us to believe you can do the job you were elected to do! We are suppose to entrust you to make the laws for our state? Do your duty, that is what you get paid to do. Fix the maps now! You have already wasted too much of our time and tax dollars trying to cheat the system.

Please do your jobs. We are watching. The entire country is watching. Ohio should be ashamed of itself by the blatant cheating of Huffman and Cupp. Do the right thing.

Let the independent mapmakers do their work! You have no authority to protect incumbents.

The newer maps look much better than the first three sets that were drawn in private by the GOP. However, the process is infuriating. I watched for hours on Sunday as the independent map makers literally begged for guidance and at least two GOP members kept stalling and complaining they couldn't see the small maps. A quick and easy solution was offered, but the leader opted to delay the process for another couple hours. Then there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary concern about incumbents who have their seats by virtue of gerrymandered maps from 10-12 years ago. The main goal of the commission should be to draw fair maps that benefit the voters of Ohio, not to ensure that incumbents retain their seats.

Redistricting Commission members have an obligation to follow the Ohio Supreme Court's order and the state's constitution! I am appalled by the efforts to circumvent the will of Ohio voters in order to push through yet another set of illegal maps. Ohioans deserve better.

Just watched another session (til 6pm) and continue to be hopeful that this commission can agree on a map that is fair for all of us in the state. 54% Republican 46% Democrat as the Ohio supreme Court directed.

The minority party on the commission are working in good faith and are only trying to get their reasonable 46% representation and not more than that, unlike the majority.

Treat us Ohio voters with respect. 70% of voters wanted a constitutionally fair map.

If various Commissioners are truly interested in "landing the plane," then they should bring minor errors to the attention of the independent mapmaker as they discover them. Doing this, they can as a Commission, construct the most Constitutional map of all.

I encourage you all, to work together.

I am watching the live feed of the 3/28 meeting and must say that it is appalling that the Republican super majority is suggesting that they have a new map that should be voted upon. Who drew this map? Was the public part of the process? This is an insult to the voters of Ohio and shows contempt for the Supreme Court order. Shame on you all; you are not the leaders that the people of Ohio deserve.

It's appalling to me to see what the Commission is about to do. Leader Huffman talks on and on with what authority?...about so many maps being Constitutional or not be Constitutional, someone who is 0/3 on producing maps that our Supreme Court considers Constitutional.

If you find a misplaced precinct on some map, fix it. Don't switch it out for another bad map.

It's appalling to me to see what the Commission is about to do. Leader Huffman talks on and on with what authority?...about so many maps being Constitutional or not be Constitutional, someone who is 0/3 on producing maps that our Supreme Court considers Constitutional.

If you find a misplaced precinct on some map, fix it. Don't switch it out for another bad map.

I am completely dismayed by the current effort to subvert the direction of the Ohio Supreme Court and the will of the Ohio voters. The map of the Independent Map Makers needs to be completed and submitted - NOT the map of the supermajority

Unbelievable, now Hoffman is concerned about the court and time. Wants to waste more tax dollars, throw out the map makers maps and work from GOP failed maps. Shame on you!!!!!

You have hired two independent mapmakers. Let them do their job! Republicans have produced gerrymandered maps three times! Are you going to make it a fourth map? Ohio voters want FAIR maps! You know there is a time crunch. You should not have wasted so much time when they first arrived. We see what you are doing! Delay, delay, delay!

Sen. Huffman states he wants to protect incumbent seats (won through gerrymandering) because that is what voters want. Yet he forgets that what voters really want and voted into our constitution, is FAIR MAPS, not protecting his coworkers.

I am most interested in symmetry for our Ohio districts so that each voter can be assured that their vote counts. I would like to pick my Senator and Representative rather than have them pick their voters. The incumbent agreement is of much lesser importance due to the fact that the incumbents were voted in when there was no symmetry of Republican vs. Democrats vs. Independents. Email is my best contact at baker_janis@hotmail.com because my phone is for my outgoing calls and known callers only so other calls are not answered or monitored.

Don't allow map drawer, Dr. Mike McDonald, to leave until the work is done completely! Presently, Dr. McDonald is planning to leave at 4:45 pm for 6 pm flight to Florida.

Get a conscience and do the right thing.

This map will divide our neighborhood in the same school district into different districts. Please rethink this.

I agree that the new draft maps are far superior to any put forth by the Commission to date. I commend the co-chairs for how they are moving this along. Please keep at it.

The new draft maps are far superior to anything presented so far and should be adopted today.

I do not even understand what all of the various colors stand for

I live in Greene County. The McDonald maps from 03/27/2022 make better sense to me than anything else I have seen, based on what I know about Greene County and surrounding communities.

To aid your drawing of districts, the League of Women Voters of Geauga has submitted a county map of our school districts by precinct. In both proposed maps our county, and especially our schools, are split in non-sensical ways. The McDonald Map's 75th district spans portions of Geauga, Portage and Summit counties and is an especially egregious example of unnaturally combining unrelated communities.

Kindly reconsider.

The marathon Redistricting meeting yesterday demonstrates how the Majority is dragging their feet and only interested in ways to protect their political power. Fair maps with representative fairness as directed by the Ohio Supreme Court are essential. Incumbency protection only promotes continued gerrymandering! Majority, stop requiring incumbency protection that blocks the mission of Fair Districts for Ohioans per the Ohio Supreme Court!

Gahanna is better represented in the Johnson map. Please use that map for Gahanna. Public comments and community maps are needed. However, public comments and community interest issues weren't considered throughout this process due to the intentional delays from the majority and no inclusion of that information to the mapmakers! Perhaps mediation with help get acceptable maps as demanded by Ohioans.

Ohioans and others are watching! This is the last day to DO YOUR JOB per the Ohio Constitution and orders from the OS Court!

As someone who grew up in Montgomery County, and in 2018 voted for fair maps, I want to be better represented in the state government and federal governments. To me, that means a US House of Representative district which includes Montgomery County and Greene County; along with part of Clark County. There are more cultural connections between these three counties than a district that has Montgomery County and Preble County.

A Montgomery County, Greene County, Clark County district would provide Ohio with another competitive congressional district, it leaning Republican.

In response to "Please weigh in on the question: "Should district maps pair Ohio's Montgomery County with Green or Preble?" ": To give a confident response to this, more detail is needed, but glossing over all that to give a brief answer - in general I would say that Montgomery tends to have communities that are more naturally aligned with Greene than with Preble. This is based on the conversations I've had with communities that we (LWVGD) gathered as part of our community mapmaking exercises that we hosted throughout 2021 in anticipation of the redistricting. I was the community of interest mapmaker for LWVGD.

It is unfortunate that during that 6 hour timeframe (3/27 meeting scheduled to start at 4) there was very little direction given, excuses made by GOP members, and an unnecessary focus on incumbents. Voters pick candidates, maps for 10 years will outlast candidates. Attempts to justify this, by one side, just stinks of efforts to keep around remnants of the garbage that was the 2011 maps. The commission members can spend as much time as they like in the room with map drawers and should not have the excuse that they don't know the maps or the impacts... that's on them. This wouldn't have to be such a time crunch if the process was genuine from the beginning. Clearly those outside the commission and theirs staff are best suited to draw compromise maps and an independently drawn map should be adopted Monday.

It is unfortunate that during that 6 hour timeframe (3/27 meeting scheduled to start at 4) there was very little direction given, excuses made by GOP members, and an unnecessary focus on incumbents. Voters pick candidates, maps for 10 years will outlast candidates. Attempts to justify this, by one side, just stinks of efforts to keep around remnants of the garbage that was the 2011 maps. The commission members can spend as much time as they like in the room with map drawers and should not have the excuse that they don't know the maps or the impacts... that's on them. This wouldn't have to be such a time crunch if the process was genuine from the beginning. Clearly those outside the commission and theirs staff are best suited to draw compromise maps and an independently drawn map should be adopted Monday.

Montgomery should be paired with Preble and Miami Counties to make a more geographically contiguous district

The pathway today all felt disappointing; we do not want a misuse of power. We as Ohio Voters want FAIR Representation. We want Fair Maps. Let's be sure we make Our Democracy Fair and Stronger.

Please reconsider the choices you have made dividing Geauga County. Both proposals split multiple Geauga School Districts between two representatives. I have emailed a current Geauga County School Districts map by precinct to info@redistricting.ohio.gov for your reference.

As one example, in the southwest corner of Geauga, Bainbridge Twp and Auburn Township (where I live) together make up the Kenston School District. Both maps separate the two townships into separate house districts. Similar unnecessary divisions exist for the West Geauga and Berkshire School Districts as well.

Thank you for considering my input.

From Canton Ohio...Rep. Cupp, we did not see you in the map room during tonight's "break", to look at the maps and ask questions of the map makers!!! You said you couldn't read the hard print out maps and you don't "get" the computer so why didn't you go to
the map room as suggested by the map makers!

It makes more sense to me that Montgomery county be in the same district as Greene rather than Preble county which is considerable more rural.

It is imperative that you make decisions tonight on the issues that the map makers have asked for your guidance on. Please, DO YOUR JOB, and make a decision about Montgomery County and Cuyahoga. Then the professional map makers can be trusted to get fair maps completed before tomorrow night!

I live in Western Lucas County and Dr. McDonald's map is well drawn in terms of being very compact and logical with neighborhoods, etc. The Senate map, however, divides Toledo in a way that does not seem logical re: it's territory being chopped up.

As an addition to my previous comment, the Commission agreed tonight to avoid double-bunking incumbents if at all possible. Both Dr Johnson's and Dr McDonald's maps would place Mark Fraizer and Kevin Miller in the same district. My proposal for Licking County would place these incumbents in separate districts.

As a Greene County resident, putting Montgomery and Greene Counties together just makes sense.

As a Licking County resident, I believe that Licking County must be split in a way that keeps communities of interest together. Newark and Heath are so closely interwoven as to be considered twin cities; as someone who visits both often, I don't even know where the city limits are between them. In southwest Licking County, the municipality of Reynoldsburg must remain together as well as being joined with Etna Twp to keep its related communities whole. All this can be done with very small tweaks to several maps that have been submitted. I've submitted versions of the Johnson map as well as the Rodden III maps that move fewer than 110 residents from one House district to another with zero effect on the Senate district in which they are embedded. I urge that communities are kept together.

As a Greene County resident, I have much more in common with Montgomery County than the more rural Preble County. I urge the commission to pair Montgomery and Greene Counties.

Montgomery County pairs well with Green County. Community continuity flows well in that pairing.

Montgomery County should be paired with Greene County, as Greene has more of Dayton's suburbs, thus, that is a community to keep together.

Montgomery County should be paired with Greene County, as Greene has more of Dayton's suburbs, thus, that is a community to keep together.

Commission members decided it was best to bring in independent mapmakers to craft maps that, as the Ohio Supreme Court required, are proportional and have competitive districts with an approximately even split between parties. Although the state's political geography is such that Democratic areas are conducive to "packing" (resulting in fewer Democratic seats but with higher shares of Democratic voters than Republican districts have of Republican voters), mapmakers McDonald and Johnson have been able to create proportional and relatively symmetrical maps.

I urge the Commission"especially its Republican members, who have been intractable about issues like incumbents (an issue the Supreme Court specifically said is not pertinent) in an apparent effort to delay the proceedings"to speedily adopt one of these independent maps or a minor modification of it.

I would like to see Montgomery County paired with Greene County when redistricting.

I would like the Commission to remember; The Map Makers are paid with tax dollars, they are working for Ohioans, not the Commission. Maybe let them do the job they have been hired to do and stop delaying the processes. As to incumbents, they will serve out their time. If the district has changed and they no longer live in the district they serve, then like any other job that has changed, they move on. It is the reality of redistricting.

I have been trying to watch the hearing/meeting today (Sunday 3/27) but it appears that the members of the commission have left the room and are having non-public discussions about the redistricting process. Isn't this process supposed to be transparent? It's been over 95 minutes with nothing other than amending some minutes and then turning off the cameras. What's going on?

I am very impressed by the mapmaker's work. I've been watching the http://www.ohiochannel.org/live/redistricting-1
the last few days as well as the commission hearings. I am hopeful that this time we can get a 10-year map. I want to thank all those who have been working so hard for fair maps.

How can we access the maps that the map drawers have saved? I know they haven't been blessed by the Commission yet, but I would like to be able to see them in more detail- especially when I haven't been watching them all day.

There seems to me to be a strategy for quickly coming up with good Constitutional maps that is not being explored. In his expert testimony in one of the redistricting lawsuits, Dr. Kosuke Imai used computer software to generate 5000 legislative maps.

Either by obtaining his maps or by generating them anew, the mapmakers could select the ones that best achieve our goals.

This seems to me to be an appropriate use of technology such as Maptitude. I have read about it being used in this way (primarily to create gerrymanders) in other states.

I encourage you to consider and explore this possibility.

Where on this website can I find out how to view the map making process by the independent map makers?

Now that independent map makers have been charged with pulling a rabbit out of their hat to resolve the redistricting stalemate that has disrupted the primary election process, it is imperative that all involved finally act in a spirit of cooperation and compromise to meet the most recent Supreme Court deadline. In addition to the numerous mapping criteria that must be adhered to including a welcome need for transparency, the map makers should also provide the opportunity for public input with the allowance of at least one hour for concise public comment from those groups or individuals that have followed the redistricting process. This may prove more valuable to the consultants than advice from commission members that often did not even show up at public input sessions early in the process. Finally, the original final maps with counties intact as much as possible should be adhered to since candidates were required to file in those districts by Feb. 2, 2022.

What is stunning to me is that the supposed party of fiscal conservatism seems to care nothing about the cost to taxpayers of this intransigence. The meetings and the lawyers and the courts and hearings... and now ripping apart our primary elections with millions of dollars to pay for making elections happen. This is a boondoggle using taxpayer dollars to fund partisan nonsense. Get this done and do the jobs you are being paid to do.

I have been watching the hearings virtually, as I am not comfortable with the general lack of adherence to public safety guidelines at the Statehouse. Over months, I have heard bogus excuses about why constitutional maps could not be drawn in a timely fashion - or at all - even though citizen groups managed to fulfill these requirements after having consulted with professional mapmakers and gained citizen input from across the state. Sadly, the Commission didn't even bother to look seriously at these suggested maps. To further disrespect Ohioans by holding last-minute hearings, by delaying scheduled meetings, by taking long breaks for private discussions, demonstrates that the Commission does not have the best interests of Ohioans at heart. We deserve transparency. We deserve fair maps. We deserve leaders who won't insist on wasting millions of taxpayer funds on two primary elections. You can do better. Ohioans like me are watching.

Question: Why has this committee consistently submitted maps that were obviously favoring one party over another even after the first attempt was rejected by the court? It appears to the residents of Ohio that this committee has a contempt for the highest court of the state, while I am sure that it was not your intention. However in trying to take the blindfold off the Lady of Justice, you have made many people irate. I really need to understand your stance on this issue.

I would like to address my remarks to Gov Dewine, Auditor Faber & Frank LaRose. You were elected to serve Ohio. It looks to me like you are only serving republicans. When you have served your term, and return to wherever your place is, will you ask yourself did you serve the voters or did you only act on behalf of your party?

I have been a Republican for most of my life. I have supported them in local, state, and federal races ever since I was able to. But I am shocked to see the party I loved grasp so desperately for power during redistricting. I disagree with the Democrats and condemn their attempts to power-grab using district lines too, but we cannot call them out on that without being hypocrites if we continue down this path. Ohioans deserve fair maps. I beg Governor DeWine and my state row officers to pass a fair and bipartisan map before our state descends into a constitutional crisis. It is not worth it. Please contribute to getting this issue behind us so we can move on to what people like me really need from our state government.

Thank you republicans of the redistricting commission for making Ohio the embarrassment of the nation. Despite all the fervor about following the constitution, you seem incapable of following it. Just follow the rules and the map will be approved. Is this really that difficult? Stop trying to bend the rules to your will and this will be much easier. If the shoe were on the other foot, you would be as equally outraged. Also, how in the world is Pat DeWine allowed to rule on any aspect of this map making process? Talk about conflict of interest.

I feel that someone on the commission should know that none of the math on the "Assignments and Stats" page of the 2/24/22 General Assembly proposal adopted by the committee checks out. You have 99 House Districts and 101 entries in the population column. The combined total of populations don't match the state population number, (even if you don't include the numbers without assigned districts). Senate District populations do not match the population of their combined House Districts.

I'm more than a little worried that a team with the state's top election official as well as the auditor didn't manage to catch this.

There is no way that Jaunita O. Brent should represent Mayfield Heights in state government.
In all aspects, she is not representative of the culture, politics, opinions, and mindset to serve
Mayfield Heights and the immediate surrounding areas and their residents. Her district should be cut in half with a horizontal line of demarcation running form west to east beginning in south Orange. She has minimally, very minimally appeared in the Mayfield Heights community to converse with residents.

This is an absolutely abhorrent misuse of power. Over 70% of voters want a fair map, and you nimrods can't even make a slightly fair map. You are spitting in the face of every Ohioan. I hope you all are held in contempt of court, and a third party gets to draw the maps. Go fuck yourselves. Resign

I just want to say that the majority of Ohioans want a fair map making commission. Regardless of their political party, people understand the importance of letting everyone's voice be heard. Your map unfairly makes it so the politicians are electing themselves, and I think they should be ashamed to call them our representatives. The constitutional amendment passed by way more voters than any one party could muster. I cannot believe there are politicians that take advantage of the people they represent like this. Truly a disgrace.

Auditor Faber is clearly mentally impaired. Listeing to your February 17 comments I can see you are having difficulty with your higher level brain functions, you seem confused and befuttled. The issue isnt about Percentages; it is about Racial Inequity. If comments are a scale of knowledge Mr Faber your comments show your commiteed ignorance to not see the truth here. Also drilling in our parks, giving judge Grendell the freedom to waste judicial monies. Your more like a mob of Greedy Corrupt Scumbags then leaders taking us into the fuure.