Republican leaders in the House and Senate are punting the mapmaking process for new Congressional districts back to the Ohio Redistricting Commission. It’ll be up to that panel to redraw the 15 congressional districts after the latest map was ruled unconstitutional.
Legislative leaders say the redistricting commission will take over because a congressional map from that panel can go into effect immediately. The House and Senate would have to pass a bill through an emergency clause, requiring Democratic support.
Democratic Senator Vernon Sykes, a commission co-chair, says the Supreme Court has created clear objectives through its rulings on district maps.
"You have to attempt to comply with the constitution. So if that's clear this time I think we'll be closer to coming up with a compromise and agreement."
House and Senate Democrats released their own map which would create 8 Republican-leaning and 7 Democratic-leaning Congressional districts.
The rejected map created 12 districts that favored the GOP.