Clevelandurbannews.com , CLEVELAND, Ohio-A three -judge panel on Friday ruled Ohio's current congressional map unconstitutional and ordered the state legislature to redraw it by the 2020 election, a win for Democrats who say the Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly favors Republican candidates for congress and the state's controversial congressional map is evidence of such partisan posture.

The decision on Ohio's electoral map by the judicial panel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in Cincinnati, which follows a series of similar rulings in other states across the country, including neighboring Michigan, also precludes Ohio election officials from holding elections under the current map, which yielded a 12-4 bi-partisan advantage for Republicans from Ohio in congress.

A new map must be submitted by the state by June 14, the court order says.

Brought by the League of Women Voters as a plaintiff, among others, the gerrymandering lawsuit against John Kasich, a term-limited Republican governor who left office in January, former secretary of state Jon Husted, now the lieutenant governor, and Republican leaders of the House and Senate, follows the voter approved Issue 1 initiative adopted in May of last year, a bi-partisan proposal aimed at fairer congressional districts.

That voter approved constitutional amendment is now in limbo.

"Today's victory ensures that voters' voices will be restored," said Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. "Ohio voters have been without fair congressional district maps since 2011, and the panel's decision today means that they will be fairly represented in future elections."

Following a reduction in population per the 2010 U.S. Census report, Ohio went from 18 congressional seats to 16.

The four Democratic congress persons from Ohio are Reps Marcia Fudge, whose 11th congressional district includes Cleveland, Marcy Kaptur of Toledo, the longest serving woman in Congress and whose 9th congressional district extends to Cleveland, Joyce Beatty of Columbus, and Rep Tim Ryan, a Youngstown area Democrat and presidential candidate.

Beatty and Fudge, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and prior national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.,are Black and the only Blacks in congress from Ohio.

The decisions for Ohio and Michigan could both be put on hold until the nation's high court rules on gerrymandering cases before it relative to congressional maps in Maryland and North Carolina, such decision expected later this year, one that legal pundits say will, without a doubt, impact Friday's federal court decision as to the pivotal state of Ohio.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.