Voters First Ohio, has organized a campaign to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot this November to enable citizens, not politicians, to draw election districts. The results of this redistricting would impact the 2014 election -- no waiting for change until 2020. Dick Gunther shared with us what is at stake, where we are in the process of collecting signatures and how each of us can help at a recent Coffee & Conversation get-together.
You will be inspired by how well organized this campaign is, how they have done their homework to make this a successful endeavor, and how this is one effort that we can feel confident about supporting with our time and money. UAPA is actively involved in the redistricting campaign by collecting signatures and raising money for the redistricting ballot initiative. Come join us!
As you recall from newspaper headlines over the past several months, a handful of Republican politicians, acting at the behest of John Boehner, met behind closed doors in a hotel room that they, themselves, referred to as "the bunker," to establish new Congressional and state legislative district boundaries which will guarantee Republican super majorities throughout the coming decade. The Columbus Dispatch was even moved to call this "the most egregious example of gerrymandering in Ohio political history."
The Voters First coalition http://votersfirstohio.org/ have designed a new redistricting system that would, if approved by the voters in the November election, go into effect in time for the 2014 election. This system would take politicians out of the process of drawing boundaries for both Congressional and state legislative districts and replace them with an independent citizens' commission.
It would charge that commission with creating districts that fairly reflect the preferences of the voters, that would create a level playing field for competition between candidates, and that would preserve communities to the greatest extent possible. Their constitutional amendment has been approved for inclusion on the ballot by the Attorney General, the Secretary of State and the Ballot Board.
But in order for this to happen, we must collect 386,000 valid signatures before July 3, 2012.
See our Facebook page for places to sign a petition. While you are there, Like, Comment, or Share a story!.
Please contact Carolyn Casper at 614-822-9004 or carolyntc3@gmail.com if you would like to carry a petition.