Democrats say they’ll join a bipartisan group of state lawmakers working on a new way to draw Congressional districts. But they are concerned about the timing.
Republicans on the four-member group hope to get a Congressional redistricting plan together in a few months, so voters can decide on it in May. Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko of Richmond Heights says he’s wondering what’s the rush.
“We’ve had an awful lot of time to work on this. We’ve had an awful lot of time to think about this. And all of a sudden, right now we’re getting down to counting days on the calendar and saying this is really going to be a tight schedule we’re dealing with.”
Yuko says he doesn’t want that lawmakers’ group to undermine non-partisan groups that are in a drive to put their own Congressional redistricting plan before voters next year. Republicans say they’re not racing them to the ballot, but note that previous redistricting plans from citizens’ groups have failed. But that was before voters approved a new process for redrawing the Statehouse maps.