Ohio House and Senate leaders are meeting for hearings on every proposed Congressional district map by lawmakers, but it's still unclear how a final plan would move forward, with the deadline at the end of this month.
Several Ohio citizens against gerrymandering have been lining up at the Statehouse over the past week to voice their opposition to Republican-drawn maps that only create two districts that favor Democrats.
That includes Mike Halaiko, a Pickerington resident, who told the House Government Oversight Committee Wednesday morning that the Congressional map created by the House GOP flies in the face of the 2018 changes meant to stop elected officials from drawing districts that favor one party over another.
"And you must not turn your backs on them and ignore the overwhelming will of the voters that have presented you with a mandate to create maps that will be honest and fair," Halaiko said.
The joint committee is made up of Senators and Representatives, two Republicans and one Democrat from each chamber. The panel will have hearings on four plans.
There's no word yet on if the joint committee will choose a specific map to use as the vehicle for a full House and Senate vote.
From there, work will likely be done behind the scenes to reach a possible deal.
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