Expect 2 primaries in Ohio next year

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)

Ohio voters can prepare for two primaries in 2012, holding most national contests in June with local primaries still taking place in March.

Gov. John Kasich was expected to sign the bill. There is a tight deadline for it to go into effect before the Jan. 21 deadline for local boards of election to ship ballots to members of the military overseas.

The Ohio House of Representatives on Friday approved a Senate move to hold state, local and U.S. Senate primaries in March, while presidential and U.S. House primaries would take place in June.

The measure is intended to give lawmakers more time to come up with new congressional districts after the GOP-drawn map passed in September was put on hold while a Democratic-backed coalition tried to put it before voters for possible repeal in 2012.

Lawmakers from both parties met behind closed doors on Friday, but left with no compromise map.

Members of both parties took turns bemoaning the move and assigning blame to their opponents.

GOP Rep. Matt Huffman, who sponsored the original congressional map bill, said Democrats would rather see a federal judge draw the map than lawmakers elected by the people of Ohio.

For their part, Democrats blamed Republicans for everything from not giving voters enough time give feedback on the map before its approval to drawing maps that didn’t accurately represent Ohio’s political leanings.

“Something as important as this (congressional map) should have been reviewed a little more by the public at large,” said Warren Democratic Rep. Tom Letson.

“It doesn’t really matter that you didn’t let the minority party do it — we’re so far in the minority, it doesn’t matter — but there are 11.5 million people out there in the state of Ohio that deserve more respect from you.”

Many Democrats also called the measure irresponsible, pointing out that it will cost taxpayers and additional $15 million to hold a second primary.

“Once again the Republicans have done what is in their best interest and not that of Ohioans,” Democratic House Minority Leader Armond Budish said in a statement.

In a dueling statement, Republican House Speaker William Batchelder countered that the measure would save local elections boards money by moving special elections scheduled for August to June alongside the primary races, eliminating the need for them to pay for another separate election.

The battle is the latest in a fight that has been going on since the GOP-drawn districts were introduced on Sept. 13.

Last Friday, the Ohio Supreme Court ordered Secretary of State Jon Husted to accept petitions from a Democratic coalition that is seeking have voters weigh in on the maps on 2012 ballots.

Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern told reporters on Monday that he will withdraw the petition if legislative Republicans work with Democrats to create a map with more competitive districts — one that more accurately reflects Ohio’s political makeup, which he said is close to evenly-split.