Bubp: Congressional Map Receives Bipartisan Support in Ohio House

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representative Danny Bubp (R-Lake Waynoka) has announced that after months of diligent work and many regional hearings throughout Ohio, the Ohio House of Representatives today passed House Bill 319, which establishes boundaries for Ohio’s 16 congressional districts based on the 2010 decennial census. The legislation—which passed with the support of the House’s Cuyahoga County Democrats—adheres to the U.S. Constitution, the Ohio Constitution, and the Voting Rights Act to ensure that it respects all requirements set forth in law.

“I am pleased by the hard work of the legislature to put forth sixteen new congressional maps that will allow residents to be fairly represented in Washington D.C.,” stated Bubp.

The map outlined in H.B. 319 treats incumbent candidates equally, with three Republican and three Democrat incumbents drawn into overlapping territories. It also complies with clear precedents of the federal Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Supreme Court in ensuring that the civil rights of minority communities are protected in the redistricting process. Similarly, it creates an additional minority opportunity district in Franklin County.

However, despite the opportunity for bipartisanship in the redrawing of district lines, the House Republican Caucus did not receive a single suggestion for a congressional map from the House Democrats—even though the minority caucus was granted equal funding for such a project. Like all Ohioans, the House Democrats were encouraged to research and submit congressional map proposals for consideration by the State Government and Elections Committee.

H.B. 319 will now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration and debate.