ACLU, voter groups sue in Ohio over new legislative maps

By JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A new lawsuit challenges Ohio’s newly drawn state legislative districts as giving an extreme and unfair advantage to the Republican Party. The litigation filed Thursday is believed to be the first in the nation against district maps drawn under the 2020 census. An ACLU-led legal team filed the suit on behalf of voters and voter-rights groups, including the League of Women Voters of Ohio. It targets a map the new Republican-dominated Ohio Redistricting Commission passed along party lines last week. It’s predicted to continue to deliver supermajorities to the GOP. The partisan vote meant the map would last only four years, rather than 10.