COLUMBUS, Ohio — COLUMBUS, Ohio — The battle over redistricting continues as the Ohio Supreme Court rejected a second Republican-drawn map of U.S. House (congressional) districts as gerrymandered on Tuesday, sending it back for a third attempt to meet constitutional parameters approved by Ohio voters. The deadline for the General Assembly to draw a constitutional congressional map has passed – August 18. Now the Redistricting Commission has until September 17 to draw a new congressional map.

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Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider Moore v. Harper during their next term in the fall. Even though the majority of the Ohio Supreme Court decided not to hold the Ohio Redistricting Commission republican members’ feet to the fire on two requests for contempt charges, the Ohio Supreme Court has rejected all the maps submitted by the republican majority on the commission as invalid, illegal and unconstitutional. This case would allow the state legislature to draw maps that would be illegal and not subject to state court review.

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The Ohio Supreme Court decided not to hold the republican majority members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission in contempt without any comment. Lawsuits are still pending with the Ohio Supreme Court over congressional maps, but will not be impacting the 2022 election cycle. Even though this news is disappointing to say the least, the Ohio Supreme Court did provide some good news: Eight Democratic candidates running for state legislature seats were placed on the August 2 ballot despite Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose claiming they had filed their petitions too late.

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A federal court has now set the second primary for Ohio on August 2nd, 2022. This election will include state legislative candidates (State House and State Senate) as well as State Central Committee members. Between what the state has already provided for funds to county Boards of Elections and what will likely be needed for the second primary, the total price tag to Ohio taxpayers will be in the neighborhood of $30 Million. This is a complete waste of taxpayers dollars thanks to the republican party who calls itself the party of fiscal responsibility.

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