OEC Statement on Ohio Supreme Court Decision Striking Down State Legislative Maps [January, 2022]

Emily Bacha, Vice President of Public Affairs, January 12, 2022

Columbus, OH — Today the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled that the state legislative maps adopted in September by the Ohio Redistricting Commission are invalid. Four justices voted to send Ohio’s state legislative redistricting plans back to the drawing board. The ruling declares the partisan gerrymandering performed in 2021 was absolutely unconstitutional.

In late September, the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) joined forces with the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC), the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), and six individual plaintiffs to challenge the gerrymandered statehouse redistricting plan. Together, we’re represented by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School and the law firm Reed Smith.

The following statement can be attributed to Heather Taylor-Miesle, Executive Director of the Ohio Environmental Council:

“With our environment and health on the line, we cannot afford another decade of rigged maps. Today’s Ohio Supreme Court’s decision affirms what we’ve known since Ohioans overwhelmingly passed redistricting reforms. What self-interested politicians did last year must never again happen in Ohio. We’re ready to build the healthy democracy we all deserve, paving the way for the healthy environment Ohioans need.”

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Press inquiries? ebacha<at>theoec.org

The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) is the state’s most comprehensive and effective environmental advocate for a healthier, more sustainable Ohio. The OEC develops and ensures the implementation of forward-thinking, science-based, pragmatic solutions to secure healthy air, land, and water for all who call Ohio home. Learn more at theoec.org