Latest gerrymandering effort would grant Ohio Republicans super-majorities in both chambers

COLUMBUS, Ohio- Despite five rulings from the Ohio Supreme Court calling for fair maps, Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission proposed yet another set of gerrymandered statehouse maps which guarantees Republicans 23 seats (70%) in the Ohio Senate and 62 seats (62%) in the Ohio House. This would create a real possibility of Ohio Republicans controlling 73% of all Ohio General Assembly seats despite having won 54% of the votes in the last decade. 

"We are disappointed, but not surprised by the latest power-grab by Ohio politicians" said Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio speaking on behalf of Equal Districts. "Our elected officials had the opportunity to do the moral and right thing, but chose to fail the people of Ohio. And this is the sixth time they've failed us. It has become obvious that we must remove politicians from the process and give the power back to the people. It's time to take the pen away from them so that the fair maps can prevail."

The latest gerrymander maps cheat Ohio voters and candidates out of free and fair elections, creating an Ohio where less than 10% of elections are actually competitive. 

"The Ohio Constitution calls for fair representation in the Ohio Statehouse," said Jen Miller, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. "Instead, the politicians on the Commission have failed once again to give voters ample time and tools to analyze and comment on the maps. It's clear that their only goal is to continue to rig statehouse districts to guarantee their own reelection. Voters deserve better."

Equal and Fair Districts will keep fighting for the fair maps that we deserve. We deserve fair and constitutional legislative districts that will make sure our votes are counted and our preferred candidates are elected. 

We can no longer place our fate in the hands of greedy, power-hungry politicians scheming to tip the scales for their political pals. It's time to place the map-making process in the hands of Ohioans, who truly know what's best for their communities.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission is holding additional hearings over the next couple of days to receive last minute public input before adopting the gerrymandered maps. We encourage citizens to voice their opposition during the upcoming hearings:

Friday, September 22nd at 10:00AM
Deer Creek Lodge & Conference Center
22300 State Park Road 20
Mt. Sterling, Ohio 43143

Monday, September 25th at 10:00AM
Punderson Manor Lodge & Conference Center
11755 Kinsman Road
Newbury, Ohio 44065

Tuesday, September 26th at 10:00AM
Senate Finance Hearing Room
First Floor North – Senate Building
Ohio Statehouse
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. 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.

WASHINGTON, DC.-Today, Ohio Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11)), a Warrensville Hts. Democrat who's 11th congressional district includes Cleveland, joined Congresswoman Emilia Sykes (OH-13)(both pictured), ban Akron Democrat and the youngest of Ohio's five member Democratic Congressional Delegation, in introducing The Feed Our Families During a Shutdown Act to ensure SNAP recipients can continue to access their benefits up to three months after a government shutdown occurs.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program, commonly known as SNAP, provides food benefits, such as food stamps  cards and produce, to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget.

One of three Blacks in Congress from Ohio, Brown is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, which has jurisdiction over the Department of Agriculture's SNAP program.

More than 1.4 million people in Ohio receive SNAP benefits, including nearly one-in-four people in Ohio's 11th District that Brown leads. And a disproportionate number of them  are low-income Blacks and poor Blacks.

"We cannot play politics with people's food," said Brown. "Almost one in every four of people in Ohio's 11th Congressional District relies on SNAP. "

The congresswoman went on to say that " an extended shutdown is putting their benefits at risk, and increasing hunger for working families, children and the elderly."

"I am proud to co-lead this critical legislation with Congresswoman Sykes and will continue to urge the Speaker[Rep Kevin McCarthy] and his party [the Republican Party] to avoid a shutdown and fund the government," the congresswoman said.

A former state representative and minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives, Sykes is just as concerned relative to the controversial public policy  issue.

"No American should ever go hungry because of the failure by Congress to fund SNAP," said Congresswoman Sykes. "The Feed Our Families During a Shutdown Act will ensure millions of Americans, including thousands of constituents in Ohio's 13th Congressional District who rely on SNAP, will still be able to put food on their tables in the event of a government shutdown."

As a  government shutdown looms, House Republicans continue to embarrass McCarthy by blocking funding bills over demands for more spending cuts that Democrats oppose.

The bill, appropriately dubbed Feed Our Families During a Shutdown Act, would prevent a potentially devastating funding cliff that will imperil the more than 40 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Because SNAP requires an annual appropriation made by Congress, millions of Americans are made vulnerable every time that Congress cannot fulfill its most basic duty – to fund the government. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the Trump Administration was forced to exercise budgetary workarounds to ensure that SNAP recipients had access to their benefits. In 2023, USDA has noted that it has sufficient funding to maintain SNAP benefits for the month of October 2023, but that it does not have sufficient balance in its reserve fund to maintain SNAP benefits beyond that month.

The legislation would appropriate three months of funding into the SNAP reserve fund. USDA would be able to carry over that funding, reducing the outlays necessary to maintain SNAP benefits in subsequent appropriations bills.

Congresswoman Brown is also a cosponsor of The Pay Our Military Act, proposed legislation that would provide appropriations for pay and support for all members of the armed forces, civilian personnel at the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and associated contractors during a government shutdown.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. 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.

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