Our Government Has Problems.

It is up to us to remind them what common sense is.

ABOUT

While redistricting reform may have won big in Ohio in 2015 with the amendment of the Ohio Constitution, the Ohio taxpayers were the biggest losers. The Ohio Supreme Court and the new Redistricting Commission could not come to terms over district redraws. So, Ohio had two separate primaries costing $20 million more than what would otherwise have been spent. Adding to this money pit were the legal expenses that were a result of embroiled litigation. The solution after all was said and done is to wait two years and potentially do it all over again.

Ohioans, on both sides of the aisle, have been downright furious over gerrymandering for well over 40 years. Over the last 40 years, the Ohio Republican party has shrewdly utilized its dominance to squelch any type of political competition. While some Republicans are overjoyed with this dominance - many conservative Republicans have seen that not everything is so rosy. While being a Republican used to bring with it a healthy amount of conservatism, today's Ohio Republican Party seems to be lacking in its conservative street cred.

In 2015, Ohioans came together to overwhelmingly support redistricting reform. Republicans did not mount a defense against this ballot initiative to change the Ohio Constitution. We now know that even though gerrymandering is bad in Ohio, the redistricting reform created far worse problems.

HOW TO END GERRYMANDERING

THE NEW OHIO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ohio has 88 counties which will equate to 88 state House of Representative districts (1 county = 1 house district) under this proposal. Currently, Ohio has 99 equal population state House of Representative districts. Rather than trying to make these districts equal, this proposal uses the population of a district to weigh the vote of a House Rep when they cast a vote to make a Bill a Law. Every county (State Rep) will get at least one vote and one vote for every 100,000 under this proposal.

Reshaping Ohio House Districts to conform to county lines makes complete sense to Ohioans

The Solution is easier than one might think.

How the 88 State House Reps votes are Weighted

14 of the most populous counties get 66 votes and 74 counties get 1 vote each to turn a bill into law. There are 140 possible votes for a bill to become law. In 2022, Democrats held 34% of the Ohio House, Republicans held 64%, and Independents held 1%

Under this proposal, Democrats are expected to win just 7 counties. Hamilton, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Lucas, Montgomery, Summit, Athens = Democrats control 48 votes for a Bill to become law. They would control 35% of the votes of the House with just 7 Representatives. Picking up 1%.

Under this proposal, Republicans will control 92 of the votes for a Bill to become law. They would control 65% of the Ohio House. Just a little less than a two-thirds majority - but they still maintain solid control of the house with 81 Representatives. Essentially, the balance of power in the House does not shift.

Important Note:

Weighted voting among our State Representatives would only take place in voting for a bill to become law. When a legislator is voting in committee to move a bill out of committee - each legislator would only have one vote.

Is this inherently unfair? Why would a minority party agree to this? The minority party would be expected to win the house districts with more urban and high population centers. Democrats, for example, would most likely win seven of 88 counties but have 48 of 140 possible votes in the Ohio House. Seven members wielding 48 votes will most likely be sought after to negotiate deals and those members would have more leverage than Democrats have now in moving Bills out of committee.

RESHAPING THE SENATE

THE NEW OHIO SENATE

Again, the Solution is easier than one might think.

The United State Senate districts are based on the boundaries of their respective states. We can base our state Senate districts on pairing two State House Districts together (two counties) to form a Senate District.

While the Ohio House of Representatives loses 11 seats (from 99 to 88), the Ohio State Senate picks up 11 seats (from 33 to 44). Unlike, how the Senate seats are currently divided by 33 equal population districts - the new districts will represent areas, just like the Federal Senate that represents states. Like the Federal Senate, each state Senator would get just one vote. Every two counties would equal one Senate District. There is no need for weighted voting in the Senate. The Ohio House vote is weighted by population and the Senate is by area - just like our federal Congress and Senate.

This is very easy for Ohioans to understand and is a much more simple system than the system we have now which leaves Ohioans scratching their heads.

Democrats are expected to win 7-10 seats in the Ohio Senate out of a possible 44 seats - Depending on how the counties are paired - the balance of power in the Senate may not change much.

In 2022, Democrats held just 8 seats in the Ohio Senate accounting for 24% of the vote. They would be expected to lose in the new Senate and hold between 16%-23%

In 2022, Republicans held 25 seats in the Ohio Senate accounting for 74% of the vote. They would be expected to gain at least 2% depending on how the Senate Districts are formed.

Default County Pairings

While Ohio House legislators can determine the county pairings to create Senate districts, if they cannot come to an agreement then the default county pairings will be utilized.

RESHAPING OHIO'S POLITICAL PARTIES

THE NEW STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEES

Reconnecting our Parties

The Women's Suffrage movement disconnected our State Parties from our County Parties in the 1920s. Is it time to reconnect them?

It has been nearly 100 years since we replaced the State Central Committees - which was composed of the Chairman of each County Central Committee - with the election of 33 men and 33 women. Whereas there was once a direct connection to the county party, with the advent of women's suffrage in party politics, no direct connection now exists. Women are currently competitive in Ohio politics without the need for laws that mandate their inclusion. Furthermore, the disconnection from the roots of the party to the blades has created frustration and apathy among party members. Now is the time to reconnect the county party to the state party by letting the county chairmen take back control of the party.

Eighty- eight County Central Committees will elect a chairman for each political party. Those chairmen will compose the State Central Committee. This will negate the need for a State Central Committee primary election and give the political parties more control over their organization. Reconnecting the parties to their grassroots will help to reduce party apathy. It will also most likely engender greater interest in who controls the County's political party. We eliminate the need for this election and save the Ohio taxpayer money with this proposal.

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Is Weighted Voting Constitutional?

Ohio’s Constitution would need to be amended for weighted voting to be accepted at the State level. As far as how the United States Supreme Court might rule. Ashira Pelman Ostrow is a fairly notable law professor that has made the case that the US Supreme Court would find this to be legal - from challenges that were made in New York.

White papers on the legal rationale:

• https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2214&context=faculty_scholarship

• https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=11305&context=ilj

ASHIRA PELMAN OSTROW 121 Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY 11549 ashira.ostrow@hofstra.edu (516) 463-7051