Legislators must move quickly on new congressional districts

Ohio can ill afford the $15 mil- lion it will cost to hold two primary elections in 2012, and it certainly can do without the political upheaval that will come from having the new congressional districts that were created by the Republicans put up for a vote in the general election next year.

What the state needs is one primary and a bipartisan map that sets out the 16 congressional districts. With Ohio looming as a key battleground in the 2012 presidential contest, any doubts about the conduct of the election will once again turn the national spotlight on Ohio.

But that can be avoided if the GOP controlled General Assembly adopts a compromise map that appears to have been worked out by Republican and Democratic legislators. We use the word appears because late last week, GOP leaders were feigning ignorance about the latest congressional district map.

It must be pointed out that the compromise would not have been possible without the minority party making a major concession: To use the original GOP scheme, which created 11 solid Republican districts, four solid Democratic districts and 1 toss-up, as the basis for drawing new lines.

House Minority Leader Armond Budish of Beachwood, and Rep. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, chairman of the State Government and Elections Committee, were thought to have developed a new map that gives Republicans the clear advantage in six districts, Democrats the advantage in four and creates six districts that lean Republican but give Democrats a fighting chance to win in some of them.

But in order for the new districts to be in place for the 2012 congressional election, the General Assembly must adopt this plan by Wednesday.

That’s the deadline for candidates for Congress to file their petitions to run in the June primary, which will also feature the presidential contest. There will be an earlier primary in March for state, local and U.S. Senate contests.

However, Democratic Minority leader Budish contends that if the compromise is adopted by the Legislature, there could be one primary, on April 24. That would end the confusion that now exists, would save the state money and would certainly end the ridicule that has been directed at state government in recent months.

The compromise that appeared to have been worked out by Budish and Huffman shows that important things can get done in Columbus if there is a recognition that both parties have an important role to play.

Grandstanding

We are disturbed by the insistence of GOP leaders that there is no agreement and that Huffman’s meeting with Budish was not as conclusive as the Democrats believed. This is not the time for grandstanding, nor is it a time for partisan game-playing.

The people of Ohio deserve better from their elected representatives.

Since the Republicans took over state government in January, Democrats have been largely ignored with regard to the legislative agenda. The minority party has fought back by challenging laws they find extreme through the referendum process. They succeeded with the collective bargaining reform law, which was rejected by Ohioans in the November general election.

They also are challenging the election reform law, and are circulating petitions to put the Republican congressional district map up for a vote in November 2012.

Both parties must come together this week and end the impasse over the congressional districts. Ohioans have a right to know that their representatives in Congress are elected legitimately.