Honor veterans’ sacrifices; end Ohio’s gerrymandering
As a result, Ohioans voted under unconstitutional legislative maps during the 2022 midterm elections.
Politicians and back-room insiders disregarded the court and the will of the people by repeatedly submitting maps that were rejected as unconstitutional. Then, in 2023, politicians from both parties met behind closed doors and struck a deal to impose new gerrymandered maps.
Establishment politicians have proved that they cannot be trusted to draw fair legislative districts using an open and transparent process.
A broad nonpartisan coalition of Ohio citizens has come together to end gerrymandering by proposing the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment to our state constitution.
The proposed legislation would replace the current politician-dominated commission with a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission that would include Republican, Independent and Democratic voters.
It bans current and recent political officeholders, those with strong political ties, and lobbyists from drawing maps and makes it unconstitutional to draw maps that favor one party.
Petitioners must collect 413,487 valid voter signatures by July 3 to place it on the 2024 general election ballot.
Signing those petitions would be a patriotic and honorable way to remember the sacrifice of those who have fought to protect our representative form of government.
I am a combat veteran who fought for my country on foreign lands, believing that I was sacrificing for the greater cause of preserving freedoms given and maintained by constitutional rule of law.
The effects of gerrymandering impact how my vote is counted and have enhanced divisions where compromise is seen as weakness, creating a political environment reminiscent of the Cold War acronym MAD (mutual assured destruction).
The eyes of the fallen, who perished preserving the right to vote, are watching.
Politicians can’t look beyond their personal or their party’s interests.
I support the amendment because I believe citizens, not politicians, should draw district maps to safeguard our right to fair elections and representative government on this Memorial Day and beyond.
Columbus real estate developer Scott W. Patton is a member of a Gold Star family and combat veteran that served in the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 5th Special Forces Group and 19th Special Forces Group.