From the Columbus Dispatch
A much-discussed proposal to allow public input into the politically charged redistricting process was approved by an Ohio House committee yesterday, this time with very little discussion.
House Joint Resolution 15, a plan to revamp how state legislative districts are drawn, was approved on a 7-6 party-line vote by the House Elections and Ethics Committee.
GOP Reps. John Adams of Sidney and Robert Hackett of London both said they felt “out of the loop” because of the bill’s sudden emergence for a committee vote.
The resolution now faces an uncertain fate. Passing new rules for drawing legislative and congressional district boundaries would require merging the House measure with competing legislation sponsored by state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering. Both chambers would have to pass a compromise version – all within a matter of days before the summer break.