Press release
Representatives from The Fair Districts = Fair Elections Coalition will give a presentation on gerrymandering reform from 6 to 7:45 p.m. June 8 at the Bucyrus Public Library. The event is sponsored by the Mid-Ohio Progressives, a local grassroots organization that formed earlier this year in response to the election of Donald J. Trump.
Fair Districts = Fair Elections is working to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would eliminate or greatly reduce partisan gerrymandering in Ohio. Gerrymandering is the process of setting up district boundaries to give one political party an advantage. Ohio voters approved a bipartisan redistricting proposal in 2015, but it dealt with state legislative districts, not congressional districts. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine recently approved ballot language, the next step to get the congressional gerrymandering issue on the state ballot. Among the more than 30 groups making up the coalition are the League of Women Voters of Ohio, Ohio Council of Churches, Ohio Farmers Union, and Common Cause Ohio.
The Mid-Ohio Progressives’ mission statement defines it as a group “determined to demand social and economic justice. We will protect, and advance the right is people of all races, religions, classes, and sexual orientation. Our actions will support women’s rights, civil rights, immigrant rights, labor rights, environmental causes and militarism and needless military action. We will support like-minded candidates running for all offices and support like-minded elected officials.”
MOP is planning other events including a candidates’ night in the all. For more details on the MOP or the gerrymandering presentation, contact Stephanie Surina at 419-562-8021, Pat Hargis at 419-569-6512 or Lisa Miller at 419-569-2346.