January, 12 2022, 04:05pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Brennan Center: Romario Ricketts, rickettsr@brennan.law.nyu.edu, 646-925-8734
Reed Smith: Jamie Moss, jamie@newspros.com, 201-493-1027
Victory for Ohioans: Ohio Supreme Court Throws Out Legislative Maps for Illegal Partisan Gerrymandering
WASHINGTON
Today the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled that the state legislative maps adopted in September by the Ohio Redistricting Commission are void. Finding for the plaintiffs in Ohio Organizing Collaborative v. Ohio Redistricting Commission, the Court ruled that the General Assembly maps were a partisan gerrymander in violation of the Ohio Constitution. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and Reed Smith represent the plaintiffs: the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, CAIR-Ohio, Ohio Environmental Council, Ahmad Aboukar, Crystal Bryant, Samuel Gresham Jr., Prentiss Haney, Mikayla Lee, and Pierrette "Petee" Talley.
Alicia Bannon, Director of the Judiciary Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, had the following comment:
"Today the Ohio Supreme Court held the Ohio Redistricting Commission accountable to the constitution. The General Assembly maps entrenched a GOP supermajority and flouted clear partisan fairness requirements in the Ohio constitution - abuses that especially impacted Ohio's Black, Muslim and immigrant communities. The commission is now tasked with drawing replacement maps. We will be watching to ensure that all Ohioans get the fair representation they are due."
Brian Sutherland, partner at Reed Smith, had the following comment:
"We welcome the court's decision to enforce the state's constitutional protections against partisan gerrymandering. Our plaintiffs - the organizations and individuals who sued to block the illegal maps - would have been denied fair representation under those maps. They deserve maps that are fair and legal so that their voices can be heard in Columbus on the issues that affect their lives."
The court's decision and background on Ohio Organizing Collaborative v. Ohio Redistricting Commission are available here.
This press release is here.
Related resources:
- "We're Suing Ohio Over Its Gerrymandered Voting District Maps" by Alicia Bannon, Yurij Rudensky, and Julia Kirschenbaum, Brennan Center for Justice
- "COVID Inequities Show Why Ohio's Fair Map Mandate Must Not Be Ignored" by Jeniece Brock, policy and advocacy director, Ohio Organizing Collaborative
- "Ohio Take Note: Fairness Is a Universal Value" by Tala Dahbour, policy director, CAIR-Ohio
- "How Gerrymandering Contributes to Environmental Injustice" by Callia Tellez, environmental policy fellow, Ohio Environmental Council
- "Lawmaker's 'Rigged' Map Would Steal Ohioans' Right to Representation" by Kathleen Clyde and Greg Moore, co-chairs, Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission
The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan law and policy institute. We strive to uphold the values of democracy. We stand for equal justice and the rule of law. We work to craft and advance reforms that will make American democracy work, for all.
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Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas on Tuesday again blocked the passage of House-approved bipartisan legislation meant to shield journalists and telecommunications companies from being compelled to disclose sources and other information to federal authorities.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) brought the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act—which would prohibit the federal government from forcing journalists and telecom companies to disclose certain information, with exceptions for terroristic or violent threats—for a unanimous consent vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued Tuesday that passing the PRESS Act is "more important now than ever before when we've heard some in the previous administration talk about going after the press in one way or another," a reference to Republican President-elect Donald Trump's threats to jail journalists who refuse to reveal the sources of leaks. Trump, who has referred to the press as the "enemy of the people," repeatedly urged Senate Republicans to "kill this bill."
Cotton, who blocked a vote on the legislation in December 2022, again objected to the bill, a move that thwarted its speedy passage. The Republican called the legislation a "threat to national security" and "the biggest giveaway to the liberal press in American history."
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"American families are the big winner today, thanks to the Federal Trade Commission. The only people who stood to gain from the potential merger between Albertsons and Kroger were their wealthy executives and investors," asserted Liz Zelnick of Accountable.US. "The rest of us are letting out a huge sigh of relief knowing today's victory is good news for competitive prices and consumer access."
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Trump has picked Harmeet Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. She has stated that it must be "made unsafe" for hospitals to provide trans care, and frequently shares Libs of TikTok posts. She intends to target trans people in blue states. Subscribe to support my journalism.
[image or embed]
— Erin Reed (@erininthemorning.com) December 10, 2024 at 8:14 AM
Reed continued:
Dhillon's most prominent work includes founding the Center for American Liberty, a legal organization that focuses heavily on anti-transgender cases in blue states. The organization's "featured cases" section highlights several lawsuits, such as Chloe Cole's case against Kaiser Permanente; a lawsuit challenging a Colorado school's use of a transgender student's preferred name; a case against a California school district seeking to implement policies that would forcibly out transgender students; and a lawsuit against Vermont for denying a foster care license to a family unwilling to comply with nondiscrimination policies regarding transgender youth.
Reed also highlighted Dhillon's attacks on state laws protecting transgender people, as well as her expression of "extreme anti-trans views" on social media—including calling gender-affirming healthcare for trans children "child abuse."
Last year, The Guardian's Jason Wilson reported that the Center for American Liberty made a six-figure payment to a public relations firm that represented Dhillion in both "her capacity as head of her own for-profit law firm and Republican activist."
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