The committee Citizens Not Politicians today released the following statement regarding the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s approval of new state legislative maps:

“This is a bipartisan gerrymander by politicians who decided to protect themselves and their friends, ignoring the people of Ohio. It could not be more clear that we need citizens — not politicians — drawing legislative maps that put the people first,” said former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor.

“From waiting more than a year to get to work, to holding hearings in remote locations at times when working people are earning their living and can’t participate, to voting for their own political interests, we have seen once again, that politicians – Democrats and Republicans both – can’t be trusted to draw fair maps in an open and transparent process,” O’Connor said. “How can anybody have confidence in what the seven politicians – both Democrats and Republicans – on the Redistricting Commission have done?”

“What happened last night has real consequences: when maps are gerrymandered to protect politicians, it means citizens can’t hold their politicians accountable. The voters of Ohio should be picking their politicians — not the other way around. We’re going to end this mess and outlaw gerrymandering with the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment.”

The amendment and summary can be found at: www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/petition.