CAIR-Ohio Joins Partners in Filing Motion to Intervene in Federal Redistricting Suit

(COLUMBUS, OHIO 3/3/2022) Last week, the Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) and other petitioners from Ohio Organ­iz­ing Collab­or­at­ive v. Ohio Redis­trict­ing Commis­sion filed a motion to intervene as plaintiffs in Gonida­kis et al v. Ohio Redis­trict­ing Commis­sion and Frank Larose, a lawsuit filed in federal court. Mike Gonida­kis, the pres­id­ent of Ohio Right to Life, and the other plaintiffs in the federal case seek to compel the Ohio Secret­ary of State to accept a recent version of legis­lat­ive maps drawn by the Ohio Redis­trict­ing Commis­sion. 

These maps were already struck down by the Supreme Court of Ohio because they did not meet the constitution’s requirement of representational proportionality and violated the prohibition of partisan gerrymandering. The Ohio Redistricting Commission missed the Court’s Feb. 18 deadline to produce state Senate and House maps that meet constitutional requirements and stated that they had reached an “impasse”. The Court hearing to determine if they will hold individual members of the commission in contempt for missing this deadline has been postponed. 

On Wednesday, the ORC adopted a congressional map that also does not comply with the anti-gerrymandering provisions in the Ohio Constitution or redistricting best practices. The map does not have compact or contiguous districts and fails to keep communities of interest together, diluting the power of people’s votes. The congressional map was passed without bipartisan support; therefore, it will be used for four years, rather than 10. CAIR-Ohio continues the fight for fair maps to ensure that the voices of the people are heard.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.           

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Acting Executive Director Amina Barhumi, [email protected], 614-763-6557; CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland Chapter Executive Director Julia Shearson, 216-830-2247, [email protected]