The Ohio Redistricting Commission approved new Ohio House and Senate district maps after the ones they approved last fall were rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court.
The commission approved them in a 5-2 vote Saturday, the last day of the 10-day period the court allowed for new maps to be drawn. The previous maps, approved by the same partisan vote in September, were overturned as unfairly favoring Republicans, who already hold a supermajority in both houses.
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The new maps still favor Republicans, but not as much as the September versions did.
Under the new maps, proposed by Republicans, their party would have the advantage in 57 of the state’s 99 House districts and 20 of the 33 Senate districts. Currently Republicans hold 65 House seats and 25 Senate seats.
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Voting rights groups have indicated they will file objections to the new ones, too. They have only three days to do so, as the Feb. 2 filing deadline for state legislative seats approaches.
If the new maps survive all renewed challenges, they will still only be in effect for four years instead of 10. Ten-year maps would require minority-party support, but the two Democrats on the redistricting commission voted against the plan.
