Last week, House Speaker Bob Cupp unveiled the General Assembly’s latest and possibly most outrageous maneuver to avoid drawing fair congressional districts. It seems they have no shame when it comes to reneging on their oath to abide by the Ohio Constitution and circumventing the will of the people. Check out Howard Wilkinson’s latest update on the redistricting saga.

Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice and now current Speaker Cupp alleges:

1. The 30 day window prescribed in the Ohio Constitution has not started because there is a 90 day appeal deadline should they decide to appeal the latest invalidation of our congressional map to the US Supreme Court;
2. There are US Constitutional concerns about the Ohio Supreme Court’s invalidation of the latest congressional map;
3. “Out-of-state activists” are engaging in a deliberate misinformation campaign to create confusion around the redraw process.

Here are some quick facts to set the record straight.

1. The latest congressional map was invalidated by the Ohio Supreme Court based on Ohio law, and so the Ohio Supreme Court is the ultimate and final court of jurisdiction. The Court’s decision cites the Ohio Constitution as the basis for the map’s invalidation—not federal law, nor the US constitution.The only reason to say anything different is to muddy the water, try to evade an Ohio constitutional duty, and delay the requirement to immediately start the redraw process.
2. Not once have the majority members of the Commission alleged any US constitutional violations in their court filings. Now, they seem to be changing their story. Apparently, they intend to double-down on the crack-pot independent state legislature argument. Again, this is just an elaborate and desperate way to avoid having to obey the court’s order and draw a fair map.
3. We are not out-of-state activists! It’s outrageous that Cupp would even hint at such a claim. And who is he talking about anyway? Is it activists who have been fighting for fair districts in Ohio for decades? Is it the Ohio Supreme Court? The legislators that wrote the amendment specifying the deadline? Or, is it the 70%+ of Ohio voters who voted it into law?

We are Ohioans who have put our blood, sweat and tears into the fight for fair districts! Cupp and Huffman have another thing coming if they think these kinds of baseless accusations will make us give up now!