Two trucks are bringing what petition collectors say is more than 700,000 signatures in support of adding abortion to the Ohio Constitution. They are set to give official comments at a presser 30 minutes from now.
BREAKING: Cupp map is passed along party lines, 4-3 sending it to the Ohio Supreme Court. Auditor Faber only Republican "no."
Public yells "no!" and "shame on you!" as the vote goes down.
The job goes back to the legislature for 30 days, but if the legislature can't adopt a map in that time, the process heads right back to the Ohio Redistricting Commission for another 30 day deadline.
BREAKING: With 495,938 valid signatures in a total of 55 counties, the Ohio Secretary of State verifies the abortion constitutional amendment proposal can be placed on the November ballot.
Judge Jenkins is back to give his ruling, explaining the state and federal constitution: "It is simply wrong to state that, as many do, that a right does not exist because it is not specifically listed in the constitution."
Governor Mike DeWine: "I think it is a mistake for this commission to stop and basically say that we’re at an impasse, I don’t think that is an option that the law gives us."
I talked to one attorney (Senate President Matt Huffman), a former attorney general (Governor Mike DeWine) and a former Ohio Supreme Court justice (House Speaker Bob Cupp): None of them know what happens next.
Reading through court documents, specifically responses to calls to hold Ohio Redistricting Commission members in contempt.
There have been claims that Sen. Pres. Matt Huffman and House Speaker Bob Cupp left their posts to avoid contempt charges, or at least blur legal lines.
As a note, in its last map rejection, the Ohio Supreme Court said Huffman "misunderstands" the section of the constitution on incumbents.
"Senate President Huffman's concern for protecting incumbents is not grounded in Article XI."
Committee room is packed to the gills, along with the overflow room to hear testimony for House Bill 454, a bill to regulate gender-affirming care. At the start, comments from the audience:
Let's be clear here: The court did say they wanted legislative maps by the end of tonight.
But the court also said they wanted an entirely new map.
So it seems the GOP are taking a risk that not violating one part of the court order will be better than violating another.
Ten of the 27 members who signed a letter condemning Issue 1 have counties in their district whose voters approved the measure on Tuesday night: Ashtabula, Franklin, Licking, Butler, Delaware, Lucas, Union and Clark counties.
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@OhioCapJournal
UPDATED: “Ohioans are constitutionally entitled to ballot language that allows them to make an informed decision about how they will cast their votes,” the complaint, filed with the court on Monday night, stated.
Also notable: the Ohio Supreme Court denied requests to hold redistricting commissioners in contempt of court. No explanation was filed with this announcement.
I see this redistricting thing working out one of four ways:
- They pass a four-year map
- They pass a ten-year map
- They sing the songs that remind them of the good times
- They sing the songs that remind them of the best times
Today, Issue 1 officially takes effect, meaning the right to abortion up to viability and other reproductive rights are now included in the Ohio Constitution.
Today is the day we should hear whether or not the proposed abortion constitutional amendment has enough valid Ohio voter signatures to be placed on the November ballot.
The Ohio SOS deadline to collect and verify all county signatures is today.
I'll keep you posted!
BREAKING: With a vote of 5-2, the GOP maps are adopted by a simple majority, making them effective for four years.
Objections will be allowed for the next three days.
Government Oversight Committee Chair Shane Wilkin, R-Hillsboro, placed a cap on speakers for HB294 — no more than 10 opponents and 10 proponents. He also imposed a five-minute time limit on testimony.
No proponents showed up. via
@OhioCapJournal
Starting off the 5:30 meeting of the Ohio Redistricting Commission (1 of 2 today) with an Ohioan saying "I’m very disappointed in all of you that are involved in the redistricting process. It’s going terribly."
Today, the Ohio Redistricting Commission returns for new talks on a congressional redistricting plan. They were ordered to redraw by the same Ohio Supreme Court awaiting the ORC response as to why they shouldn’t be held in contempt for not redrawing legislative district maps.
Ohio Value Voters, who was staunchly against Issue 1, released a statement saying voters were mislead into supporting the measure. It also includes quotes from state Rep. Jennifer Gross (and other former legislators) claiming "foreign election interference."
Evidence has been filed last night and this morning in Ohio Supreme Court cases to try to convince the court the ORC should be held in contempt over redistricting. So far, the commission hasn’t made movement toward their May 6 legislative deadline.
Members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission have not publicly announced any plans to meet and discuss legislative redistricting, despite requests by Democratic members, and a mandate by the Ohio Supreme Court.
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@susantebben
State Rep. Jean Schmidt, talking about HB 598, another "trigger" abortion ban, was asked about receiving care for an ectopic pregnancy, which can be life-threatening.
She says a person w/ an ectopic pregnancy should have the time to "emotionally prepare for the loss of a child."
The Ohio Ballot Board has accepted the proposed ballot initiative on abortion unanimously. The only role the board was set with today was to verify the proposed language only involves changes to one constitutional issue.
JUST IN: The Ohio Supreme Court denied a lawsuit against the Ohio Ballot Board, saying the board did not abuse its discretion by approving language for the abortion ballot initiative.
One year, five legislative map proposals, and two congressional redraws later, the state will hold a general election in November with maps that have been ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.
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A bit of redistricting news: The Ohio Supreme Court has denied a motion requiring the Ohio Redistricting Commission to explain missing the last legislative mapping deadline.
Change of scenery for today's redistricting news: In U.S. District Court today to hear from a three-judge panel. They've been asked to decide on a map to be used in the May primary, and could move dates around if they want to.
Full story coming, but there are three separate dissents written by the three justices in the minority. One is Gov. Mike DeWine’s son, Justice Patrick DeWine.
The Ohio House did NOT concur to Senate amendments to House Bill 151, a bill that not only included a ban on youth trans athletes in sports based on their gender identity but also folded in an overhaul of state education agencies.
An email from our parent company urging us to prepare for armed pro-Trump events at state Capitols this weekend. Advice like: have your press badge at the ready, but not outwardly shown because participants may view press as the enemy.
"Shoot the messenger" is now a real fear.
Press are gathering at the election night watch party for supporters of Issue 1, the measure to enshrine abortion and reproductive rights into the Ohio Constitution. Polls close at 7:30 pm.
On a press call, Vikram Amar, dean of the University of Illinois College of Law, says Ohio's case relating to the independent state legislature is expected to fail/be denied by US Supreme Court based on today's decision in Moore v. Harper.
Background:
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, and is not considered able to survive.
Rep. Beth Liston, a physician herself, said ectopic pregnancies happen in about 2% of pregnancies.
The Fair Districts Coalition was in attendance, and after adjournment, they began chanting and shaming the commission members, calling after them as they left the room.
The day after Senate President Matt Huffman replaced himself on the Ohio Redistricting Commission, co-chair Speaker Bob Cupp is also leaving the commission.
State Rep. Jeff LaRe will take his place.
Said commission meets in little more than an hour.
“This is, yet again, it’s like pulling teeth to get state officials to draw districts legally,” said Collin Marozzi, a deputy policy director for the ACLU of Ohio
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@OhioCapJournal
INBOX: The official notice of the Ohio Redistricting Commission's next meeting, on legislative maps, has been released:
The ORC will meet at 2 p.m. on May 4, in room 313 (House Finance Room).
“I don’t think Issue 1 would affect parent’s rights at all,” said Tracy Thomas, the Seiberling Chair for Constitutional Law and director of the University of Akron’s Center for Constitutional Law.
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@OhioCapJournal
A brief recap for those too busy/tired to follow every minute detail: The Ohio Redistricting Commission has until 9 a.m. tomorrow to come up with legislative maps, per an Ohio Supreme Court order. Independent mapmakers will not be involved, after a vote last night.
Schmidt: "It is a shame that that happened," but says pregnancy can be an "opportunity" for the person who is raped.
Provides options, such as adoption by a family member.
"Just because you have emotional scars, doesn't mean you get to take a life."
The coalition that created the reproductive rights constitutional amendment language hitting voters in November is going to challenge the summary approved by the Ohio Ballot Board as "deceptive." The group is asking the Ohio Supreme Court to order a correction of "inaccuracies."
The two meetings today are happening during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which an Ohioan mentioned in testimony.
ORC co-chair (and state Auditor) Keith Faber: Picking date was a "mistake," but also made in keeping with Sec. of State Frank LaRose's requested timeline.
“I didn’t know that the Ohio Redistricting Commission could be even more dysfunctional than it has been for the last few years,” said Jen Miller, head of the League of Women Voters.
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David DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio: "Likely the largest money laundering scheme ever perpetrated in the history of the state of Ohio."
Schmidt, responding to a question about a 13-year-old rape victim: "There are 13-year-old girls across the (state)... who are pregnant and going to school."
"Pregnancy happens, but the woman is having a child and that child is alive."
Boosting this: Service workers are not legislators, not municipal administrators, and are not state leaders. They are trying to do a job, just like everyone else, but in a risky time.
Let me say very loud and clear. If you’re going to go out at a time like this and punish me because you can’t have your whole party sitting together, don’t even come out to eat. As if I make these rules.
The measure would amend Article 1 of the Ohio Constitution to add “the right to reproductive freedom with protections for health and safety,” according to the draft language.
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Ohio Sec. of State Frank LaRose rejected dozens of submissions of old absentee ballot forms printed in a Cleveland newspaper, but when Issue 1 supporters sent out an old form, within hours he issued guidance saying the old forms are OK.
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@MorganTrau
“Whatever authority the legislature might have to tinker with the jurisdiction of the state courts, it cannot eviscerate a rights-granting provision of the state constitution,” Entin said, citing Article I, Section 16 of the Ohio Constitution.
Proponents of the LGBTQ resolution, led by Dr. Jenny Kilgore, tried to make the resolution an emergency so they could vote on it tonight. On a 9-10 vote, the motion was defeated. Chair McGuire was a no vote.
The measure moves to the December meeting.
Maps for Ohio House and Senate districts must be re-drawn. The Supreme Court of Ohio ruled today that the maps do not meet voter-approved provisions of the Ohio Constitution to reduce partisan political gerrymandering.
READ MORE:
JUST IN: Ohio Democrats will propose an amendment to the redistricting maps currently under consideration. Proposal will happen at the 4 p.m. meeting in Warrensville Heights. Streamed live
@TheOhioChannel
The Ohio Senate reached the end of their business at 5:45 a.m., and neither SB 178 nor HB 151 came up as they finished. Sen. Pres. Matt Huffman has already pledged to bring 178 back up in the new year.
Now that things have settled down slightly: Covering the
@OHSupremeCourt
in person has been a career goal of mine for a while, so today was pretty awesome.
But their responses to the Ohio Supreme Court indicate they didn't believe they were in danger of contempt even before they decided to leave, which they said was to address other "legislative priorities."
Members of the State Board of Education are asking Gov. Mike DeWine to veto certain parts of the state budget he just received last night.
They want vetos to private school voucher eligibility expansion and language from SB 1 which would remove authorities from the SBOE.
A significantly larger crowd is here now than we’ve seen in previous days. Many “fair maps now” signs and t-shirts, and even a blown-up version of the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission “unity maps.”
Sykes: "I am just disappointed, not so much for myself, but disappointed for the court and for the people of the state of Ohio."
Mainly, he says, because of the process took place.
Gov. Mike DeWine on demonstrators:
"It's not fair game to disrespect the news media, to be obnoxious to the news media, that's not fair game. You should come after me, don't go after people who are exercising their First Amendment rights."
Liston asked the question about ectopic pregnancies, making a point about access to health care in places like Southeast Ohio as opposed to Cleveland or Cincinnati. The bill requires two doctors to sign off on an abortion to save a pregnant person.