Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) today announced their mutual support for moving the date of the 2012 primary election to the month of May, as specified in House Bill 194.

With the uncertainty surrounding a possible referendum of House Bill 194, both Batchelder and Budish believe that it is imperative to move the primary date in order to obtain sufficient feedback from the public on Congressional redistricting and to ensure that county boards of elections have adequate time to prepare for the 2012 elections.

Speaker Batchelder released the following statement on the issue:

“It is important for this institution to maintain a policy of openness and transparency. Redistricting is an important process that all Ohioans will be affected by for the next decade, so ensuring that we have ample time to solicit feedback from the public and give boards of elections enough time to prepare for next year is extremely vital as we move forward in this process.”

Leader Budish released the following statement:

“A primary election in May 2012 will give the people of Ohio a reasonable opportunity to make their opinions known on Congressional redistricting, as long as maps are produced well in advance of legislative adoption. Any date earlier in the year would only create unnecessary confusion and limit the ability of the public to testify. While there are elements of House Bill 194 my caucus and I find objectionable, this is one provision that is worthy of support.”

The House intends to introduce a bill on this issue in the near future.