Justices send Ohio Statehouse maps back to drawing board

By JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A divided Ohio Supreme Court has issued an extraordinary fourth rebuke of the state’s Republican-controlled mapmaking panel for unconstitutionally gerrymandering Statehouse maps to benefit their party. In a 4-3 ruling, the court ordered the embattled and defiant Ohio Redistricting Commission to reconvene and draw a constitutionally compliant plan by May 6. Primaries in Ohio House and Senate races have already been called off for May 3 because of the dispute. A federal court had signaled its intention to intervene to resolve the monthslong stalemate between the commission and the court if a solution wasn’t reached by Wednesday.