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WYSO's coverage of the 2011 Election

ODP Chair Redfern Says Issue 2 May Have Failed, But It’s Not Going Away

Issue 2 may have failed last night, but one of its backers says the issue behind it isn’t settled. Issue 2 would have taken the authority to draw district maps for state and federal lawmakers out of the hands of elected officials, and it lost by a 2-1 margin, according to unofficial results. But Ohio Democratic Party chair Chris Redfern says he thinks another move to change the map-drawing method will happen soon.

"Issue 2, which was a reform effort to change the way we apportion and determine Congressional and legislative districts," says Redfern.  "I think there'll be an additional effort in 2013 to place something on the ballot that will speak to the importance of reforming gerrymandering process.”

The maps drawn last year were widely criticized as being wildly partisan and even unfair. Democrats and union groups had backed Issue 2, while Republicans, business organizations and socially conservative groups had opposed it. Republicans had said Issue 2 was too complicated, and noted that Democrats had blocked making changes to the map-drawing process when they were in the majority