(COLUMBUS, OHIO 12/09/2021) — On Wednesday, Dec. 8, oral arguments for the redistricting lawsuit filed on behalf of the Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) and other plaintiffs were heard at the Ohio Supreme Court.
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and the law firm Reed Smith filed the suit on behalf of CAIR-Ohio and other plaintiffs in September to challenge unconstitutional and discriminatory state legislative maps. Justices can now either affirm the maps or rule that the Ohio Redistricting Commission must go back to the drawing board to meet constitutional requirements.
Following the oral arguments, CAIR-Ohio joined partners in the suit outside the Ohio Supreme Court building for a press conference and rally.
CAIR-Ohio Community Affairs Director Whitney Siddiqi addressed the rally:
“This egregious gerrymandering has failed all Ohioans. But it’s Ohio’s Muslim and minority communities that bear the brunt of the impacts. These maps send a dangerous message about the state of democracy in Ohio, discouraging citizens from exercising democratic rights by locking in political outcomes no matter how much organizing takes place,” said Siddiqi.
Read more about the lawsuit here.
Watch the Ohio Supreme Court hearing here.
Watch the full press conference here.
Read coverage of the lawsuit:
- Ohio redistricting fight: Was favoring one party allowed?
- Ohio redistricting battle heads to state Supreme Court
- Ohio Supreme Court hears gerrymandering lawsuits challenging state House and Senate maps
- Ohio Gerrymandering lawsuits: Everything you need to get up to speed ahead of this week’s Supreme Court hearing on legislative maps
For questions, Contact CAIR-Ohio Community Affairs Director Whitney Siddiqi: wsiddiqi@cair.com | 513-281-8200.
