Congressional redistricting still stalled

We've seen little public progress in redrawing Ohio's congressional districts despite officials having already missed a recent deadline.

Why it matters: The results of this redistricting process will shape Ohioans' political representation in Washington, D.C. for the next decade.

• This is the first redistricting attempt since Ohio voters reformed the process via constitutional amendments in 2015 and 2018.

The latest: State lawmakers were supposed to have the first crack at new congressional maps but instead took no action and missed the Sept. 30 deadline.

• The Ohio Redistricting Commission, a seven-member panel made up of legislative leaders and statewide elected officials, will now take over.

State of play: Republicans hold a 5-2 majority on the commission, but the new redistricting rules favor bipartisanship.

• A bipartisan map will be in effect for 10 years, as opposed to four years if the Democrats reject it.

The big picture: The process of drawing new federal maps for Congress is separate from the one involving new state maps for politicians serving in Columbus.

• Is this confusing? A little bit. I'll point you to these two flow charts.

Flashback: State redistricting went poorly, with officials blaming the delay in receiving U.S. Census Bureau data.

• Even Republican members of the redistricting commission criticized the mapmaking process despite approving the new Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate districts.
• The two Democrats on the commission voted against the maps, and a slew of lawsuits are now contesting their constitutionality to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Of note: We asked legislative spokespeople for details on the commission's congressional district plans this month, and were told no October hearings have been scheduled yet.

What they're saying: "We are in a frustrating place," said Katy Shanahan, state director for All on the Line, a left-leaning anti-gerrymandering group that wants the commission to meet as soon as possible and give the public ample time to review the draft maps.

What's next: The commission has 26 days to secure bipartisan support for a new congressional map.

• If members fail, the process is sent back to the Republican-state legislature to try again.