Ohio
Related: About this forumThere is another Issue 2 on the ballot in Ohio
Remember last year when we had to fight to save collective bargaining, the ballot issue was called Issue 2.
Well, the republicans are up to no good again and this time it involves how redistricting is done in the future.
Issue 2 language is still being worked out due to several court cases challenging the confusing language.
That would change the process for shaping congressional districts.
The Ohio Supreme Court calls the original ballot language for the redistricting proposal "defective," saying it "misleads voters."
The Court said the state had to come up with a new description of Issue 2.
That sparked a war over words between the members of the Ballot Board.
The Republicans argued the only way to be clear was to put more of the exact wording from the constitutional amendment on the ballot.
"We can either put the complete language or we can do a summary," said Republican Sen. Keith Faber. "But if you do a summary, you have to make sure you don't get it wrong. Well, in this time period, at this crunch, my fear is that if we do a summary, we're going to get it wrong because frankly, I didn't draft the confusing selection process that's in the constitutional amendment."
Including that part added more than a page and doubled the length of the text that will appear on the ballot.
The Supreme Court decision came after Voters First, the group behind Issue 2, sued the Ballot Board.
Organizers say they're still unhappy with the wording.
"It's going to take voters a long time to wade through some of the more technical language in the beginning of the ballot language," said Ann Henkener of Voters First, "and you're going to have to be very persistent and stand in the voting booth for a really long time to get to what the court described as the core of the issue, which is the criteria, which is getting politically-neutral districts."
http://woub.org/2012/09/14/ohio-ballot-board-lengthens-description-issue-2
The republican Secretary of State is not happy about this thing even being on the ballot let alone the challenge that the language has to be clear.
An Ohio Redistricting Amendment, also known as Issue 2, is on the November 6, 2012 ballot in the state of Ohio as an initiated constitutional amendment. The measure would create a 12-person citizen commission to draw legislative and congressional district maps. According to supporters of the measure, the commission would create districts that would reflect the state's geographic, racial, ethnic and political diversity. The initiative would also bar lobbyists and elected officials from joining the commission.
Voters First is the main group in favor of the measure. The organization spearheaded the initiative effort.
According to Catherine Turcer, chair of Voters First, at the time of the signature submission deadline on July 4, 2012, "We're celebrating Independence Day the way that you should. Thinking about our forefathers; thinking about the quality of our vote; thinking about what we as voters can do to actually make a difference."[3]
Opposition
The Cincinnati USA Regional chamber stated, "Oppose Ohio Issue 2, Ohio Redistricting: The Ohio redistricting amendment, if passed, will establish a 12-person citizen commission to draw General Assembly and congressional districts following the decennial census. The Chamber opposes Issue 2 and urges a no vote because it removes accountability to voters. If passed, Issue 2 would replace elected officials with an unelected, unaccountable, citizen commission with unlimited funds to redraw congressional and General Assembly district lines, while excluding some Ohioans from serving on the commission."[4]
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Ohio_Redistricting_Amendment_(2012)
This is one of those deceiving ballot issues that on the outside sounds like a great deal but in the end, it allows the republican controlled legislature to create a permanent panel to address redistricting. A panel that is not accountable to anyone and whose members cannot be removed for any reason by the way the language is written.
More dirty tricks by the republicans to affect elections that they would not otherwise win.
Cosspost in GD
limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)liberal N proud
(60,352 posts)limpyhobbler
(8,244 posts)unless I'm reading it wrong. I'm pretty confused still on this ballot issue.
http://votersfirstohio.com/endorsements/
Voters First has been endorsed by the following organizations:
ACT Ohio
AFL-CIO
Alliance for Retired Americans in Ohio
America Votes
American Association of University Women
Applied Information Resources
Central Oho Democratic Womens Caucus
Childrens Defense Fund
Coalition on Homelessness and Housing In Ohio
Common Cause Ohio
Environmental Health Watch
EqualityOhio
Independent Ohio
League of Women Voters of Ohio
Miami Valley Voter Protection Coalition
NAACP Ohio Chapter
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio
National Organization of Women, Ohio Chapter
Ohio Citizen Action
Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors
Ohio Council of Churches
Ohio Democratic Womens Caucus
Ohio Education Association
Ohio Green Party
Ohio Libertarian Party
Ohio Organizing Collaborative
Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Ohio Voice
Organize! Ohio
Planned Parenthood
ProgressOhio
Sierra Club Ohio Chapter
Summit County Progressive Democrats
Toledo Area Jobs with Justice and Interfaith Worker Justice Coalition
Upper Arlington Progressive Action
We Are Ohio
We Believe Ohio
Working America
Worthington Area Democratic Club
liberal N proud
(60,352 posts)SOS Huested is not happy about it.
But there is still some very confusing language there.
Yes it is an independent commission.
But the republicans are going to get to load the panel in their favor with no chance to change that.
Maeve
(42,309 posts)Husted opposes it, the major group opposing it is Republican backed (Protect Your Vote Ohio), the group that pushed for the defeat of the last Issue 2--Stand Up for Ohio--backs it...
Here's a link to an article discussing how it would work
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/08/ohio_campaign_to_overhaul_redi.html
liberal N proud
(60,352 posts)Thanks for the information.