A redistricting ballot initiative was put to Ohio voters in 2012. It was ultimately unnecessarily complex and failed. I propose a new ballot initiative that would achieve the desired result and have a better chance of being successful.
Here is the text of the 2012 ballot initiative:
The proposed amendment would:
1. Remove the authority of elected representatives and grant new authority to appointed officials to establish congressional and state legislative district lines.
2. Create a state funded commission of appointed officials from a limited pool of applicants to replace the aforementioned. The Commission will consist of 12 members as follows: four affiliated with the largest political party, four affiliated with the second largest political party and four not affiliated with either of the two largest political parties. Affirmative votes of 7 of 12 members are needed to select a plan.
3. Require new legislative and congressional districts be immediately established by the Commission to replace the most recent districts adopted by elected representatives, which districts shall not be challenged except by court order until the next federal decennial census and apportionment. In the event the Commission is not able to determine a plan by October 1, the Ohio Supreme Court would need to adopt a plan from all the plans submitted to the Commission.
4. Change the standards and requirements in the Constitution for drawing legislative and congressional districts.
5. Mandate the General Assembly to appropriate all funds as determined by the Commission including, but not be limited to, compensating:
1. Staff
2. Consultants
3. Legal counsel
4. Commission members
If approved, the amendment will be effective thirty days after the election.
Shall the amendment be approved?
I would propose a far simpler initiative:
The proposed amendment would:
1. Establish that the difference in vote totals for democratic and republican candidates for governor during the prior 2 gubernatorial elections must not exceed 10% in any state senate or state representative district.
2. Establish that the difference in vote total for democratic and republican candidates for president during the prior 2 presidential elections must not exceed 10% in any federal congressional district.
3. Establish that new state and federal legislative districts be drawn prior to and effective for the 2016 elections.
This is about accountability. None of our elected representatives are currently beatable because they pick their own voters.
This would make Ohio the decision maker in Washington as it would have 16 relatively moderate lawmakers(all in districts that are less than 50-55% for a given party).
This would also make gerrymandering districts so that Ohio is represented by 12 Republicans and 4 Democrats impossible.
I think changing who draws the districts is unnecessarily complex. What we want is an accurate representation of our state and accountability of our lawmakers. Instead of trying to change the who and how of the process, just mandate that they give us what we want. It is more sure to achieve the desired result while also being simpler for the voter to understand, increasing the likelihood of success.
I am curious as to what others think and possible ways to improve this idea.