Citizens Not Politicians need 413,446 valid signatures to get on the ballot, and they collected 731,306. Attorney General Frank LaRose will work with local boards of elections to determine the validity of those signatures.
The group seeks a constitutional amendment that would create an independent commission to draw maps. It would replace the Ohio Redistricting Commission, whose gerrymandering efforts have led to a veto-proof Republican majority in Columbus. (Even without gerrymandering, the GOP will still likely control the statehouse, just not in such lopsided terms).
Still, the campaign to thwart the ballot initiative will be fierce. The national GOP knows that fair maps in Ohio could result in future incumbent losses, a potential game-changer given Republicans thin margins in the Congress.
Senate President Matt Huffman said he worries a nonpartisan board would lack accountability, which is rich because lawmakers haven’t been accountable to voters on this issue.
Ohio voters have twice passed constitutional amendments demanding fair maps, and lawmakers have refused to abide by their wishes. Now, the electorate has said “enough” and taken this first step toward election fairness. Let’s help this effort get over the finish line.
The Dayton violence problem: It’s been a bloody summer so far in Dayton, with six shootings, 15 injuries, and two deaths.
Mayor Jeffrey Mims, in a statement, said he’s committed to increasing violence prevention methods that lessen gun violence. Those programs often include mentoring, sports leagues, and job placement, and they have a track record of success. For example, a Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health study found that Baltimore’s Safe Streets Program reduced gun violence and violent crime by as much as 23% The study also examined 24 deterrence programs and found decreases of up to 30% and improved police-community relations.
Those efforts take time and money, so the city should consider an interim step: aggressively enforcing its curfew law, which says: “Juveniles (anyone under the age or 18) not accompanied by a parent or guardian are not allowed to loiter, loaf, or idle on or about any public street, avenue, alley, park, or other public place between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.” except in certain circumstances.
This seems especially important since the summer shootings tend to involve juveniles and young adults who like to gather at vacant houses, according to the Dayton Police Department.
Police do conduct occasional sweeps. But getting kids off the street pays dividends. Prince Georges County, MD, saw a 20% decrease in overall crime by doubling down on its curfew.
Granted, curfews raise concerns about profiling and fairness regarding which areas become targeted for police patrols. Still, the city should look at everything, especially since people are dying.
The Bannon interview: If you have not read David Brooks’ excellent interview with Steve Bannon in the New York Times, please take the time to do so. It is frightening and dystopian, but in many cases, contains a message that will resonate with a lot of people. Voters in the middle pay way too much attention to what Donald Trump says he’ll do and not nearly enough to what his acolytes say they’re planning. For example, Trump gets the credit/blame for his Supreme Court nominees, but he had no idea who was nominating. The Federalist Society vetted the candidates and whittled down the list for the White House. People like Bannon and groups like the Federalists are the ones to pay attention to. They’re trying to shape a government that isn’t MAGA but as far right as the ones taking hold in Europe. As Bannon says in the interview, if he and his “Army of the Awakened” have their way, America will “look back fondly at Donald Trump. They’ll ask: Where’s Trump when we need him?”
Ray Marcano’s column appears on these pages each Sunday.
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