January 24, 2012

Column from Rep. Wachtmann: Drawing New Congressional Lines in Ohio

The criticism constantly swirling around the redistricting process over the past couple of months has certainly worked to the Democrats’ favor. From the beginning of the process, they apparently were only interested in obstructing the process and standing in the way of the legislative lines being drawn.

At the beginning of the process, Republicans and Democrats were given equal amounts of public money. The purpose of this money was to conduct research and generate new congressional maps. Only after seeing each map could the two sides come together and make revisions and concessions. Republicans used their resources for the intended purposes—drawing a new map. Meanwhile, however, Democrats were using their money to hire Innovation Ohio, a liberal think tank designed to help the party with matters that they obviously believed were more important, such as generating a negative PR campaign against Republicans and assessing possible violations.

Knowing this, it is not surprising that at the time the first map was to be debated on the House floor, Democrats were unable to offer a map of their own. In fact, the only map they ever introduced came from a Republican state legislator in Illinois. So, in that way, perhaps they can argue that they reached across the aisle—just not with anyone from this state.

That Democrats have criticized the congressional map is fair. Voicing concerns and opinions in a public setting is what being a legislator is all about. But for them to continually sling rocks and arrows at Republicans, without submitting a map of their own is irresponsible and, frankly, unfair to the taxpayers they represent.

Despite the highly contentious atmosphere generated by the drawing of new district lines, I am happy with the final product. House Bill 369, which established the new boundaries, passed through both the House and Senate with vast bipartisan support. Because of Ohio’s slowing population growth over the past decade, the state has lost two seats in Congress. We took a bipartisan approach to cutting these seats, including drawing two Republicans into a primary and two Democrats into a primary.

It repealed the provision in the previous redistricting bill that established two primary dates, rightfully restoring a single primary date. The bill also addresses the contempt and anger that many people have against this process by establishing an eight-member, bipartisan panel of legislators that will propose ideas for how district lines should be drawn in Ohio. Those meetings are already underway.

My goal is that, by the next time these lines need to be drawn, legislators will be forced to add two congressional seats, as opposed to subtracting them. For that to happen, we must remain committed to our primary goal in the legislature: bringing jobs back to Ohio. We are off to a good start, and I expect more good things to come.

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December 8, 2011

Representative Matt Huffman Introduces Bill to Reunite Primaries in May

Today, State Representative Matt Huffman (R-Lima) offered the following statement after introducing a bill that reunites Ohio’s primaries to one date on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012:

“There has been a great deal of discussion and interest regarding having two primary dates in Ohio over the last several weeks. We believe it is in Ohio’s best interest to have a single primary date and this legislation will move all primaries to Tuesday, May 8th, 2012.


"Under this bill, the filing deadline for candidates for president of the United States and the United States House of Representatives will be on March 9th, 2012. Moving the primaries to this date will result in ensuring Ohio returns to one primary for all local, state, and federal candidates."


"We look forward to moving quickly on this bill next week.”

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November 4, 2011

Congressional districts according to H.B. 369

To determine the index, we used five races, two of which yielded losses for Republicans (2006 Attorney General, 2008 Presidential), two of which yielded wins for Republicans (2004 Presidential, 2006 Auditor), and one that yielded a plurality for Republicans (2010 Gubernatorial).

Using the Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting's own scoring, these districts yield 10 competitive districts (45.0% - 55.0% Index).

Under the current map that passed in 2001/2002, voters gave Democrats a 10-8 congressional advantage in 2008 and Republicans a 13-5 advantage in 2010. Therefore, according to H.B. 369, each party loses one seat, respecting the voters' decision about what their congressional delegation should look like.

H.B. 369 Congressional Map

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November 1, 2011

Speaker Batchelder Releases Statement on Ohio Democratic Party Press Conference

In response to today’s press conference by Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern, Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) issued the following statement:

“Once again, I am compelled to remind the chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party that Democratic members of the House and Senate voted in favor of the Congressional map in House Bill 319. Unquestionably, this fair and legal map meets and exceeds state and federal requirements for congressional redistricting.


“Chairman Redfern seems intent on misleading the public about the map that was adopted by the General Assembly. By his actions, Chairman Redfern clearly opposes:


• Creating a new, heavily Democrat-leaning seat in Franklin County;
• Protecting a majority-minority seat in Cuyahoga and Summit counties;
• Drawing two incumbent Democrats together and two incumbent Republicans together – a fair scenario for each party – upon Ohio’s loss of two Congressional seats;
• Drawing a third-term Democrat incumbent into the same seat as a Republican who has been in office for ten months to create a heavily Democrat-leaning district in Franklin County. In House Bill 319, Republicans went out of their way to protect a minority seat in addition to adding a seat that can be won by a minority.


“Despite innuendo otherwise, House Republicans are continuing to work with the elected Republican and Democrat members of both houses of the General Assembly, and I am delighted to continue working with them. It is my hope that deliberations will continue in the coming days.”

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October 17, 2011

Speaker Batchelder Releases Statement on Ohio Democratic Party Press Conference

In response to today’s press conference by Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern, Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) issued the following statement:

“The General Assembly adopted a congressional map that received bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. This fair and legal map meets and exceeds state and federal requirements for congressional redistricting without question. Democrats failed to produce a map until their feet were held to the fire, and the map they introduced blatantly ignored the requirements of the Ohio and U.S. constitutions and the Federal Voting Rights Act.

“As you know, our state has lost two congressional seats. The map as passed by the General Assembly essentially maintains our current makeup following the 2010 elections and subjects each party to a loss of a congressional seat. This was done by combining two incumbent Democrats into the same seat and two incumbent Republicans into the same seat. What is unfair about that?

“Additionally, the adopted map went beyond what was required and created a new, heavily Democrat-leaning seat in Franklin County and drew a third-term Democrat incumbent into the same seat as a first-term Republican. Republicans went out of their way to protect a minority seat in addition to adding a seat that can be won by a minority. Again—what is unfair about that?

“We are astounded that Chairman Redfern is not interested in maintaining a fair and legal map, particularly since Democrats in the House and Senate clearly did not participate in the process until it was too late. His party made identical accusations during the previous redistricting 10 years ago about a map that actually gave the Democrats majority control over Ohio’s congressional delegation following the 2008 election. Clearly, as has consistently been the case, Chairman Redfern’s comments and accusations are unfounded and totally without merit. The real story is that the Ohio Democratic Party's plan is and continues to be to have federal judges—with a 3-to-1 chance of not being from Ohio—draw Ohio’s congressional lines, rather than the representatives who were elected by the people to do so.”

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September 21, 2011

Ohio House Approves Senate Changes to Redistricting Bill

The Ohio House of Representatives today voted to concur on Senate changes to House Bill 319, which establishes boundaries for Ohio’s 16 congressional districts based on the 2010 decennial census.

The Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee added a $2.75 million appropriation to House Bill 319, which will be utilized by local boards of elections for preparation for the new district lines. This amendment was approved by the House with bipartisan support.

“This amendment will provide local governments the tools they need to prepare for upcoming elections and adapt to the newly drawn districts,” said State Representative Matt Huffman (R-Lima).

House Bill 319 had passed from the House with bipartisan support on September 15th. It complies with the Voting Rights Act and U.S. Supreme Court precedents to ensure that the civil rights of minority communities are protected during the redistricting process. It also treats incumbent candidates equally, with three Republican and three Democrat incumbents drawn into overlapping territories.

Having passed both the House and the Senate, House Bill 319 will now move to the governor for his signature.

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September 15, 2011

Congressional Map Receives Bipartisan Support in Ohio House

After months of diligent work and many regional hearings throughout Ohio, the Ohio House of Representatives today passed House Bill 319, which establishes boundaries for Ohio’s 16 congressional districts based on the 2010 decennial census. The legislation—which passed with bipartisan support—adheres to the U.S. Constitution, the Ohio Constitution, and the Voting Rights Act to ensure that it respects all requirements set forth in law.

“I am very pleased with the hard work of Chairman Huffman and the members of the House State Government and Elections Committee in creating a map that is fair, legal and in the best interest of all Ohioans,” said Speaker of the House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina). “Most importantly, we have maintained a transparent process by taking the discussions to all corners of Ohio and soliciting the opinions of the people.”

“We held five regional hearings to gain feedback from Ohioans, and their suggestions and concerns were taken into consideration in drafting this proposal,” said State Representative Matt Huffman (R-Lima), who serves as chairman of the State Government and Elections Committee. “I applaud the timely action by my colleagues in the House to pass this bill and ensure that county boards of elections have adequate time to prepare for upcoming elections.”

The map outlined in H.B. 319 treats incumbent candidates equally, with three Republican and three Democrat incumbents drawn into overlapping territories. It also complies with clear precedents of the federal Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Supreme Court in ensuring that the civil rights of minority communities are protected in the redistricting process. Similarly, it creates an additional minority opportunity district in Franklin County.

However, despite the opportunity for bipartisanship in the redrawing of district lines, the House Republican Caucus did not receive a single suggestion for a congressional map from the House Democrats—even though the minority caucus was granted equal funding for such a project. Like all Ohioans, the House Democrats were encouraged to research and submit congressional map proposals for consideration by the State Government and Elections Committee.

“Although many Ohioans took the time to prepare maps for submission, I am disappointed that the House Democrat Caucus snubbed the opportunity to provide their own ideas, yet continue to criticize from the sidelines,” Huffman said. “This map will impact Ohioans for the next decade and will play an enormous role within our communities. All lawmakers have an obligation to represent their constituents by leading with common-sense, bipartisan solutions, not partisan rhetoric. However, I am extremely pleased that Representatives Barnes, Patmon and Williams expressed their support for this common-sense measure and recognized the benefits of this proposal for all Ohioans—Republican and Democrat, urban and rural.”

House Bill 319 has received the support of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, which “commends the House for working in a timely fashion to pass a congressional redistricting bill,” according to Executive Director Aaron Ockerman.

H.B. 319 will now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration and debate.

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September 13, 2011

State Government and Elections Committee Unveils Fair and Legal Congressional Map

The House State Government and Elections Committee unveiled the new map of Ohio’s congressional districts, which accounts for population changes over the past decade as determined by the federally administered decennial census.

“This is a fair and legal map that incorporates input from Ohioans across the state,” said State Representative Matt Huffman (R-Lima), who serves as chairman of the House State Government and Elections Committee. “We held five regional hearings across Ohio and heard testimony from many witnesses who provided input on what the new congressional map should look like. Based on the public input at these hearings, I am confident that the map I am presenting today accomplishes several goals, among them creating fair and competitive districts.”

The proposed map treats incumbent candidates equally, with three Republican and three Democrat incumbents drawn into overlapping territories as a result of slow regional population growth.

The congressional redistricting plan also protects the civil rights of minority communities by complying with the clear precedents of the federal Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Supreme Court in creating an African American majority-minority district in Cuyahoga and Summit counties. It also creates a minority opportunity district in Franklin County.

“In drawing these districts and moving House Bill 319 through the legislative process, it was vital to not only respect both Republican and Democrat congressmen, but also to take into account how Ohio’s minority populations will be impacted,” Rep. Huffman said. “It is important that we consider and pass this measure promptly and methodically, so as to ensure that communities and local boards of elections have ample time to prepare for upcoming elections.”

“The Ohio Association of Election Officials commends the House for working in a timely fashion to pass a congressional redistricting bill,” said Aaron Ockerman, Executive Director of the Ohio Association of Election Officials. “It is our hope that the General Assembly will move quickly to pass new lines which, when coupled with passage of a bill to move the primary to May, will help ensure an orderly voting process for all Ohio voters in 2012.”

The congressional district map as outlined in House Bill 319 is the result of months of work and adheres to all requirements set forth in law.

Redistricting Map - Ohio in Color

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September 6, 2011

Column from Speaker Batchelder in the Post: State legislative districts will soon shift

The Post, 8/30

When many people think of the census that we have every 10 years, some have asked what purpose this exercise serves. The census, a task that was specified in the U.S. Constitution, is actually important for a great number of reasons. Chief among them is the fact that the legislative districts across our state and nation must be redrawn based on our population.

If one state representative had thousands more constituents in his or district than another, it would not only be unconstitutional, but it would be unfair, because they each get only one vote in the House. For this reason, the state legislative districts--those for your state representative and state senator--are redrawn every 10 years so that they represent approximately the same number of constituents as their colleagues.

Just recently, the Ohio Apportionment Board, tasked with redrawing state legislative districts, traveled around the state to 11 regional hearings in order to have public testimony on this matter. This board is the body that reforms the district boundaries for all 99 Ohio House districts and all 33 Ohio Senate districts. Its membership includes the governor, secretary of state, state auditor, as well as one Republican and one Democrat from the legislature. A separate process is used to draw Ohio's congressional districts, which is a matter passed through a bill in the Ohio General Assembly.

There are many factors to consider when drawing state legislative districts. Most importantly, the Apportionment Board must follow strict rules laid out by the Ohio and U.S. Constitutions and the Voting Rights Act.

The drawing of new district boundaries is often viewed as a very politically heated struggle. Efforts have been made to change the process through legislation, as well as citizen initiative, but the current system has remained in place. Regardless, I am confident that the districts will be drawn in the open, fair, legal, and transparent way that the Ohio Constitution requires and intends.

It's very important that the new districts are set in the near future. Not only does it affect the next election cycle, but it plays a major role in the process of candidates getting on the ballot, as well as where certain candidates are legally allowed to run for office.

Above all else, the board's process will be open and transparent and will yield the most fair and legal map possible.

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August 30, 2011

Speaker Batchelder Names Rep. Huffman Chair of State Government and Elections Committee

Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) today appointed House Majority Floor Leader Matt Huffman (R-Lima) to serve as chairman of the House State Government and Elections Committee.

“Representative Huffman is an extremely capable leader of our caucus and will lead this very important committee during one of its most crucial times,” Speaker Batchelder said.

Rep. Huffman has also released the schedule for Congressional redistricting hearings, which will take place during the month of September. The redistricting hearings will be held in the Statehouse on the following dates:

• Tuesday, September 6th
• Tuesday, September 13th
• Wednesday, September 14th

“We are beginning the next step in the very important process of Congressional redistricting,” Rep. Huffman said. “After having many weeks of regional hearings across the state, this will provide another opportunity for public testimony, which we strongly encourage.”

If any individual or organization wishes to submit a map for the committee to review, Rep. Huffman requests that those maps be made available to his office by the close of business on Friday, September 2nd.

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August 22, 2011

Apportionment Board Holds Public Hearing in Lima

The Ohio Apportionment Board today held a regional hearing in Lima to gain public feedback on the reapportionment process. The hearing was part of a series of public Apportionment Board hearings to be held during the month of August.

“This meeting served as an opportunity to hear from Ohioans about how redistricting will affect the Lima community, and I am appreciative that the apportionment board made a stop in my hometown,” said State Representative Matt Huffman (R-Lima). “The public forums will ensure that the process includes the voices of Ohioans every step of the way.”

The Ohio Apportionment Board is comprised of Governor John Kasich, Secretary of State Jon Husted, Auditor of State Dave Yost, Senate President Tom Niehaus, and House Minority Leader Armond Budish.

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August 3, 2011

Rep. Grossman to Serve on Redistricting Subcommittee

Assistant House Majority Whip Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City) was recently appointed by Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) to serve on the House Subcommittee on Redistricting, which will be holding official hearings in September to determine the new congressional districts.

Throughout the month of August, Rep. Grossman will be traveling throughout the state to obtain public feedback on the redistricting process and to gain valuable insight from the constituents of the 23rd House District.

“I am happy to have the opportunity to travel around Ohio, listening to input from citizens,” Rep. Grossman said. “I am excited to get to work on the important process of redistricting Ohio’s congressional seats.”

In Ohio, Congressional district plans are enacted by the Ohio General Assembly through the legislative process and codified in the Ohio Revised Code 3521.01.

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July 13, 2011

Chairman Huffman & Chairman Faber Announce Regional Congressional Redistricting Hearings

Rep. Matt Huffman (R-Lima), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Redistricting, and Sen. Keith Faber (R-Celina), Chair of the soon-to-be-named Senate Select Committee on Redistricting, announced that they will hold a series of joint hearings in July and August in order to receive public feedback on Congressional redistricting.

“Ensuring an opportunity for public input is an important part of the Congressional redistricting process,” said Chairman Huffman.

In Ohio, Congressional district plans are enacted by the General Assembly through the legislative process and codified in Ohio Revised Code 3521.01. While there is no statutory deadline for completion of Congressional redistricting, the filing deadline for Congressional candidates serves as the practical deadline.

“I hope that these hearings will provide Ohioans with a meaningful opportunity to share their thoughts on how the redistricting process will affect their communities,” said Chairman Faber.

Congressional Redistricting Regional Hearing Schedule

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June 16, 2011

Speaker Batchelder, Leader Cafaro kick-off redistricting task force

During the inaugural meeting of the Legislative Task Force on Redistricting, Reapportionment, and Demographic Research today, House Speaker William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) announced that Speaker Batchelder and Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) will serve as co-chairs of the Task Force.

“I look forward to working with my co-chair on the Task Force, which serves an important role in helping the legislature to craft redistricting plans that are both fair and legal,” Speaker Batchelder said.

The Task Force is required under state law to assist the General Assembly in establishing new congressional districts and to assist the state apportionment board in the creation of new legislative districts. The panel oversees the allocation of funds for use in obtaining equipment, software, data and personnel to support those efforts.

Complementing the work of the Task Force, Secretary of State Jon Husted’s office announced that they would develop and manage a website for public input into the redistricting process. The site will serve as a key platform for public involvement, providing Ohioans with the capability to draw their own maps from home and submit their proposals to the Apportionment Board or General Assembly for consideration.

“This is an important but complicated process,” Secretary Husted said. “Providing more opportunity for public participation and education will breed transparency and openness and, we hope, more trust and confidence in the development of the final maps.”

President Niehaus reiterated the importance of involving citizens in the development of districts that will impact the state for the next decade. “Public participation is the key to an open, accountable government,” said President Niehaus. “We’ve made great progress in the use of new technology to bring Ohioans into the legislative process, and I look forward to the diversity of intelligent ideas that we can gather as we draft these new political boundaries.”

The Legislative Task Force on Redistricting is charged with providing resources and technical support to the General Assembly and Ohio Apportionment Board on redistricting efforts.

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