The Republican controlled Ohio Ballot Board, exercising a lose-at-all-costs strategy, has approved language for the proposed amendment to put citizens in charge of political redistricting that stamps the GOP’s political label on the ballot summary (“Reform backers to sue over ballot language,” Saturday).

The group Citizens Not Politicians is right to claim the approved language violates Ohio law requiring impartial language. They are suing to have it changed.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Sen. Theresa Gavarone, (R., Bowling Green), and retired Ohio Bankers League lobbyist William Morgan approved a description of the proposed change in redistricting law to put it in the worst possible light. In so doing, they provide evidence, as if more was needed in Ohio, that Statehouse politicians cannot be trusted.

The GOP ballot language says the amendment would overturn anti-gerrymandering legislation that was approved by nearly three-quarters of Ohio voters in 2015 and 2018 and replace it with a commission required to gerrymander districts.

This is what’s known as the pot calling the kettle black. A majority of the Ohio General Assembly, the governor, the secretary of state, and the state auditor — all Republican — participated in gerrymandering the state’s legislative and congressional districts to protect themselves and their party — over the repeated objections of the Ohio Supreme Court.

Now they warn about gerrymandering.

The definition of gerrymandering is the manipulation of district lines to favor a political party, or class, or individual.

We have said that there is an element of gerrymandering in the Citizens Not Politicians amendment. It would manipulate district lines with the goal of producing political balances in the state House, state Senate, and congressional delegation that reflect the state’s overall political balance.

Ohio politicians gerrymandered when they could have followed the 2015 and 2018 reforms enacted to create fair districts in a public-spirited way. We have a state government that at the same time engaged in the worst corruption scandal in Ohio history and which still refuses to implement ethics reform.

Replacing a Redistricting Commission comprised of the governor, secretary of state, auditor, and four lawmakers, with 15 citizens equally weighted between Republicans, Democrats, and independents selected by retired judges from each party eliminates self-interested politicians from the process.

Retired politicians, party officials, and lobbyists would also be prohibited from selection. Simply banning lobbyists from the board sets a great example that should become law across state government. Ethically bankrupt Ohio politicians think nothing of appointing favored lobbyists to important boards and commissions.

Citizens Not Politicians should take heart from the results of the ballot issue enshrining abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution. The Ohio Ballot Board used loaded language in that election too. It didn’t matter then, and it won’t matter now.

Ohioans know their choice is between untrustworthy politicians and untested, unknown, but unconflicted citizens.

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