Jack D'Auroa

Yes: Plan would help make drawing of legislative districts more fair

By  Jack D’Aurora

Columbus Dispatch, October 15, 2012

Issue 2 is taking a lot of heat. It calls for replacing the apportionment board — the governor, state auditor, secretary of state and two members of the legislature — with a nonpartisan commission to draw state legislative and congressional districts. Is Issue 2 as bad as the critics say?

The commission would consist of 12 members and be re-established after each federal 10-year census. Anyone who, within 10 years of applying to be a member, served as a federal or state official, or was an employee of the Ohio legislature or U.S. Congress, or was a state agency director or paid lobbyist, is ineligible. The same goes for anyone who, within five years of applying, was a political candidate, campaign consultant, political party employee or made more than $5,000 in political contributions in a two year period.

Read more at the Columbus Dispatch.