Want to be a part of redistricting ohio?

Next week Ohio legislators will begin soliciting public testimony at various points around the state regarding the redistricting process.  I’ve included a synopsis on the redistricting process in Ohio and why it’s so important to growing minorities like Latinos.  In the body of this email I’ve included to committees’ tentative schedules for hearings around the State.  Please pass this information along to your networks and neighbors.  This process is critical to ensuring expanded access to the political process for Latinos.  If you are interested in attending any of these hearings, please contact me.  I am happy to assist with coordination, logistics and testimony preparation.  The hearing dates are as follow:
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
9AM – 12PM
Columbus
Ohio Statehouse
Senate Finance Room (127)
Columbus, Ohio 43215

3PM – 6PM
Zanesville
Ohio University – Zanesville Campus
Campus Center, Room T430
1425 Newark Road
Zanesville, Ohio 43701

Thursday, July 21, 2011
9AM – 12PM
Cleveland
Cleveland State University
Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs – Atrium
Euclid & 17th Avenues
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Tuesday, August 2, 2011
9AM – 12PM
Lima
The Ohio State University at Lima & Rhodes State College
Life & Physical Sciences Building
4240 Campus Drive
Lima, Ohio 45804

3:30 PM – 6PM
Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
MainStreet Cinema
Tangeman University Center,

In Ohio, redistricting the seats of the General Assembly is constitutionally required in every year that ends in the digit “1″. So redistricting will be required in 2011 just as it was in 2001. A majority of the Apportionment Board must propose its redistricting plan sometime between August 1 and October 1. The Board consists of the Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor and people two people appointed by the leaders of each of Ohio’s legislative chambers – one from each party. Congressional seats are apportioned to each state according to data from the preceding census. In 2011, Ohio will be one of just two states to lose two congressional seats. The General Assembly redistricts Ohio’s congressional seats, and they must be finished by December 7, 2011.

In either case, the redistricting bodies must follow some rules. The districts must be drawn such that they each contain the same number of people, and they must not be drawn in a way that diminishes the voting power of political minorities. Redistricting for partisan advantage is quite common, and is known as “gerrymandering”.

Redistricters that gerrymander can diminish the voting capabilities of minority group like Latinos by drawing several large minority communities together into just a few districts, or by drawing districts such that the minority communities are split across a wide spectrum of districts – thereby diminishing their capacity to win any of them.  Though legislators and executive officials redistrict, courts can strike down redistricting plans that infringe too far on the rights of minorities. The data used to draw new districts comes from the census that precedes redistricting, which showed substantial growth in the Latino community even as Ohio’s general population fell. Accordingly, redistricting in 2011 will be even more important as the political capital that Latinos can harness continues to expand.

For more information about redistricting, please see the following resources:

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/State_Legislative_and_Congressional_Redistricting_after_the_2010_Census

http://hispanicohio.northcoastnow.com/2011/01/19/latinos-the-census-undercount-and-redistricting/

http://www.redistrictingonline.org/LAW.html

http://drawthelinemidwest.org/ohio/blog-redistricting-have-your-say/