Ohio's Congressional Map Declared Unconstitutional, GOP To Appeal Ruling
CINCINNATI (AP) -- The Latest on a federal court ruling that Ohio's congressional map is unconstitutional (all times local):
4:45 p.m.
Republicans say they will appeal a federal ruling that orders Ohio to draw a new congressional map for the 2020 elections.
State Attorney General Dave Yost said Friday the state will seek a stay of the ruling while appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A three-judge panel ruled Friday that Ohio's congressional districts were unconstitutionally drawn by the Republicans for their political advantage, ensuring a 12-4 GOP majority in the congressional delegation.
Yost pointed out Ohioans have already passed reforms to the mapmaking. He says the ruling "takes that decision out of the hands of the people." He calls it a "fundamentally political act" without constitutional basis.
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1:07 p.m.
A federal court has ruled that Ohio's congressional map is unconstitutional and has ordered a new one be drawn for the 2020 elections.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in Cincinnati ruled unanimously Friday that district boundaries were manipulated for partisan gain by Republican mapmakers and violate voters' rights to democratically select their representatives. The ruling blocks Ohio from holding another election under the current map.
The ruling is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Voters' rights and Democratic groups who sued Ohio Republican officials said redistricting completed after the 2010 Census yielded a statewide map that has produced an unbending 12-4 Republican advantage in Ohio's delegation. Republicans said the map was drawn with bipartisan support.
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