(COLUMBUS, OHIO 11/10/2021) – On Thursday, November 4, the Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) provided testimony on proposed maps in public hearings at the Ohio Statehouse.
CAIR-Ohio Outreach Director Amina Barhumi testified before the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee in response to Senate Bill 237.
“The map at hand currently, proposed in SB 237, is a starting point for at least reflecting voter preferences with a proportional seat count of 8 Republican-leaning seats and 7 Democratic-leaning seats and provides pathways for communities of color to be represented. It’s a good start, however, improvements can certainly be made,” said Barhumi.
“For instance, it makes much more sense to include the Ohio State University and surrounding areas, including up into Clintonville with the Columbus-anchored Congressional District 3, rather than shifting those areas to the new Congressional District 15.”
Barhumi also testified in opposition to Senate Bill 258, which includes a proposed gerrymandered map:
“Unfortunately, the map proposed in SB 258 clearly violates those criteria and the reforms Ohioans passed to limit gerrymandering. Districts are gerrymandered to favor the Republican party, with initial analyses saying this map might allow Democrats only two seats. A fair map would have 8 Republican-leaning seats and 7 Democratic-leaning seats.”
“This map also needlessly divides Ohio’s urban and three largest counties – Hamilton, Franklin, and Cuyahoga – into three congressional districts each. It splits and lumps Cincinnati in with counties that vote predominately Republican, once again, even though a majority of Cincinnati, and Hamilton County in general, vote democratic. Furthermore, the Muslim community in Greater Cincinnati, which is predominately made up of people of color, spans the Clifton neighborhood, Mason (Warren County) and West Chester (Butler County) and has been split into three congressional districts, each of them lumped into majority white districts,” Barhumi said.
At the same time, Whitney Siddiqi, CAIR-Ohio’s Community Affairs Director, testified before the House Government Overnight Committee in opposition to House Bill 479, a second proposed gerrymandered map:
“Near Columbus, Hilliard and Dublin, where one of Ohio’s largest mosques is located and a large Muslim community lives – where party control is a toss-up – have been lumped in with communities like Bremen, which is over an hour away and 94% white and 73% republican…Clearly Toledo, where another large Muslim community lives, and other areas have also been gerrymandered.”
“No matter which party you or your community is affiliated with, your vote should have the same power as your neighbors and colleagues. But this map suppresses the votes of too many people – too many in urban areas, people of color and those voting against the party which is currently in power. It is clear this map was drawn with one goal: to keep one party in power, not to create districts in which voters choose which party receives power,” said Siddiqi.
Read more about the hearings:
- Redistricting Ohio: Fairness of congressional map proposals debated
- Kaptur would face ‘uphill battle’ in GOP-drawn district
Watch Full Senate Hearing here.
- Watch Clip of Amina Barhumi’s S.B. 237 Testimony here. (Response to Democratic Map)
- Watch Clip of Amina Barhumi’s S.B. 258 Testimony here. (Response to Republican Map)
Watch Full House Hearing here.
- Watch Clip of Whitney Siddiqi’s H.B. 479 Testimony here.
