Gerrymandering fight reveals partisan stripes of some Ohio Supreme Court justices

When about three-quarters of Ohioans voted to end partisan gerrymandering, did any of us think the standards of partisan neutrality and politically proportionate districts were meant to be optional?

That’s what Republican leaders on the Ohio Redistricting Commission argued to the Ohio Supreme Court, and three partisan justices actually agreed. Think about that. After years of grassroots organizing and multiple referendum campaigns, voters apparently amended the state constitution to recommend state officeholders act decently and democratically.

Even if we bought this load of privileged baloney, what kind of party hears a recommendation to act decently and repeatedly answers no?

The Republicans were one justice away from winning their privilege assertion in court. Justices Sharon Kennedy, Patrick Fischer, and Pat DeWine showed they are willing to nullify voter-initiated amendments when they come into conflict with partisan goals, and will be petulant towards their fellow justices, the ones actually on the side of Ohio voters, while doing it. They need to go. The Ohio Supreme Court is one partisan hack away from being a broken institution. If that happens, what constrains the Ohio GOP from exempting themselves from other laws? Their sense of decency? We already heard their answer on that one.

Mark Votruba,

Cleveland