| You are encouraged to comment on LICOPAC postings. Post your comment at the end of the email or here> Comments AFTERSHOCKS BURY REDISTRICTING REFORM? Any chance that a legislative redistricting reform measure would make the May 4 ballot likely has disappeared given the aftershocks from last week's political earthquakes in Massachusetts and Washington. Newspaper editorial writers across Ohio have for months been badgering legislative leaders to act by the Feb. 3 filing deadline to place such a constitutional amendment before voters this spring. Proponents say this is the best - and possibly only - time to bring fairness and equity to the process of redrawing state House and Senate districts since neither party can be assured it will emerge from the 2010 elections with control of the state apportionment board, the panel which redraws the political map on the basis of the 2010 census. Redistricting reform is all very complicated and hopelessly infected by partisan maneuvering -- but no need to give it much thought now. Given the Republican senatorial victory in Massachusetts and the Supreme Court's grant of enormous electoral clout to corporate America, there's no reason to think that either Democratic or Republican party leaders here are left with any appetite for bipartisan cooperation. Statehouse Republicans opposed such reforms when they were on the ballot in 2005. They were only showing interest this year because Democrats seemed to be in a strong position to control the reapportionment board after this year's balloting for governor, auditor and secretary of state. Even then, party support was far from assured - and that was before Republican prospects for this November spiked given the evident public anger at the Obama administration and the predicted flood of corporate cash now unleashed by the high court in favor of Republican candidates. Democrats - namely party leader Chris Redfern and House Speaker Armond Budish - have been even more skeptical that redistricting reform at this time serves their interests. Even before last week's events, Budish was flatly predicting the matter would not be on this year's ballot. http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared -gen/blogs/dayton/ohiopolitics/entries/2010/01/12/spea ker_budish_redistricting_r.html?cxtype=feedbot Neither was labor on board. Reform proponents might now argue that it makes even more sense for Democrats to back redistricting reform and thus minimize the political damage if Republicans do come back strongly this November. But so far, the Democratic battle plan appear to be to go back on the offense rather than call for a truce. So much for "leveling the playing field" in 2010. According to reform proponents, there is no Plan B if the reform measure isn't on the ballot this year. Other than to revisit the issue come 2020. -- David Lore Saturday, January 23, 2010 Comments . |
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