Ohio mapmakers scramble to avoid facing state’s high court

By JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s political map-making panel has voted to approve legislative maps they hope can pass constitutional muster at the state’s high court. The Republican-dominated panel is scrambling avoid a summons on possible contempt charges before the Ohio Supreme Court. GOP members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission released a new plan Thursday giving Republicans a 54-45 Ohio House majority and an 18-15 Ohio Senate majority, by GOP calculations. That comes the closest yet of any GOP-drawn plan to matching Ohio’s political breakdown. Democrats disagreed with their calculations. Two previous plans were invalidated as gerrymandered. Contempt proceedings remain scheduled for Tuesday.