Redistricting mired in politics

Local legislators say efforts to take politics out of redrawing political boundaries has likely failed, meaning the system will remain unchanged for at least the next decade.

House and Senate bills aimed at preventing districts from being redrawn to benefit one political party or another were being considered, but are not likely to pass by a Wednesday deadline to get a proposed constitutional amendment on Ohio's November ballot.

Legislative leaders have indicated they do not plan to bring lawmakers back for a vote on either bill prior to the deadline to get the issue on the ballot, according to published reports.

Ohio Rep. Jennifer Garrison, D-Marietta, co-sponsored a House bill aimed at ending the political slant often associated with redistricting. The bill passed the House, but stalled in the Senate. A similar Senate bill has stalled in the House.

"I think it's a shame nothing has happened to date," Garrison said. "The deadline for getting this on the ballot is the first part of August, so it's not too late yet, but it is not looking good."

Every decade, in conjunction with the U.S. Census, Ohio's district lines are redrawn. Critics say the districts are generally redrawn to benefit the party in power.

The lines will be redrawn in early 2011 by the state's apportionment board, which is comprised of a General Assembly member from each party, the governor, secretary of state and auditor. Essentially whichever party wins two of the three statewide posts controls the board.

All three of those seats are on the ballot this year.

"If it was ever going to happen, it would've been this year, because both parties recognize that there are some flaws in the current system, and at the same time, neither party has a lock on who's going to be in control of the apportionment board under the current system," said state Sen. Jimmy Stewart, R-Athens.

"I think it's unfortunate that politics got in the way of it," he said. 'But that's kind of the nature of the beast."

Stewart said the blame can't be pinned on one party.

"I suspect there are members on both sides of the aisle that would legitimately like to see something happen" to change it, he said, adding that there are also members of both parties that probably want to see things stay the same.

According to Garrison, the lack of an amendment means business as usual for the party in power in 2011 when it comes time to redrawing district lines. The process is often called "gerrymandering."

"I think gerrymandering is wrong," Garrison said. "It's a system where politicians are picking voters and not voters picking their politicians."

Garrison considers her district to be relatively diverse, which she says makes her a better politician.

"I'm forced to reach across party lines all the time because of that," she said. "You end up with better legislation and better leadership."

Molly Varner, Washington County Democratic Party chairwoman, said the current lines for Ohio's House and Senate seats appear to be fair.

"It's the way things are drawn for the congressional seats that concerns me," Varner said.

The 6th District, which includes Washington County, runs along the Ohio River from suburban Youngstown to Scioto County.

"If you talk to folks (in the northernmost part of the district), they don't understand what the rest of the district looks like, nor do they share the same values," Varner said. "The whole district is very, very diverse."

Marietta resident Kenneth Stanley, 50, said political lines should be drawn with groups of people with similar values in mind, not political affiliations. He declined to provide his political affiliation.

"It just sounds to me like these politicians have been stacking the deck, so to speak, for years," he said. "I'm not surprised they don't want to change that, now. That's probably how a lot of them got elected and how they hope to keep their seats."

Evan Bevins contributed.