Ohio Democrats sue over redistricting plan
Associated Press
COLUMBUS
Ohio Democrats followed through Wednesday on threats to sue over a last-minute legislative maneuver by Republicans that effectively shields Ohio’s new congressional map from a ballot challenge.
In a lawsuit filed with the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Democratic Party asked justices to weigh in on whether lawmakers acted legally when they added money for county election boards to the redistricting bill as it neared approval last week.
Laws that call for state spending are immune from repeal under Ohio’s constitution. However, the high court ruled in a high-profile 2009 case that a group challenging then-Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan to legalize racetrack slots had a right to challenge the plan even though it was part of a state budget bill.
LetOhioVote.org, the campaign against the slots, eventually abandoned its challenge, but Democrats are pointing to the legal precedent set in the case in making their arguments to the court. Their formal goal is gaining an opportunity to put a repeal question before voters in 2012, but making a successful case could also prompt a federal judge to intervene and order the mapmakers back to the drawing board.
The money added to the bill also means it takes effect immediately, instead of after the usual 90 days. The deadline for congressional candidates to file is Dec. 7, so a map must be in place by then.
Ohio Republicans are holding that their map complies with all constitutional guidelines and believe Ohio’s high court will uphold the new boundaries.