The Ohio Statehouse COLUMBUS, Ohio - Black Democratic legislators will meet Friday morning with Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern and other key members of their party to outline their wish list in the ongoing saga over congressional mapping.
The meeting means the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus will not immediately attempt to strike a side deal with Republicans, who control the General Assembly, in a bid to draw up an alternative redistricting map, said OLBC head and state Rep. Sandra Williams, of Cleveland. Instead, the caucus plans to work through the Democratic Party to try to get what it wants.
The black Democrats will call for a map that does not divide urban cities between two or more districts. The current map, approved last month to stand through 2020 elections, divides each of Ohio's largest cities into several districts.
Secondly, they want a map that has more Democratic-leaning districts, including one additional district with at least 30 percent black voters to improve chances of a black candidate being elected to Congress from outside of Cleveland.
Currently, Ohio is slated to continue with just one area, Cleveland's 11th district, with a majority of black voters. It is the only district where a black person from Ohio has ever been elected to Congress. The seat, formerly held by Louis Stokes and then Stephanie Tubbs Jones, is currently occupied by Marcia Fudge.
"Our focus is all of the areas where our members have districts," Williams said, adding that she believes lawmakers can draw a Columbus district with at least 30 percent minority voters.
The OLBC, with 15 House and Senate members, has found itself with rare leverage in Statehouse politics, with majority party Republicans empowering them by turning to the caucus, instead of House Minority Leader Armond Budish, to cut a deal.
That's because the Ohio Supreme Court last week unanimously ruled that the new congressional map recently approved by lawmakers is subject to a voter referendum favored by Redfern. He argued the current map is politically and competitively unbalanced.
Ohio had to draw a map with 16 districts, two fewer than it currently has, due to slow population growth. A mapping expert has said the Republican-drawn map created 12 GOP safe districts and just four for Democrats. Redfern wants Democrats to have at least seven favorable districts, and he sued for the chance to bring a referendum in November 2012. A referendum would put the new map on hold.
Republicans, who control the process, would rather not face a referendum, which could mean a federal judge draws the map for next year's election. They need seven House Democrats to join the 59 Republicans in the House to form a supermajority and approve a map with an emergency clause that blocks the threat of a referendum.
A spokesman for House Speaker William G. Batchelder could not be reached Thursday. Batchelder on Wednesday said he was optimistic a redistricting deal could be struck.
Republicans already have a supermajority in the Senate and do not need Democratic assistance passing an emergency map.
Williams on Tuesday said that Republicans -- using an intermediary that sources have identified as George Forbes, longtime head of the Cleveland chapter of the NAACP -- had reached out to her to talk about striking a deal and securing the seven House votes needed.
Williams on Thursday said the caucus will instead try to work through its own party. She and Sen. Nina Turner, of Cleveland, will meet with Redfern, Budish, of Beachwood, and Senate minority leader Capri Cafaro, of Youngstown.
Redfern said the meeting is "a chance for us all to get on the same page." He said he still would push for a referendum unless Republicans reach out to Democrats to discuss a compromise.
The black caucus made its decision during a closed-door meeting Wednesday afternoon with 14 of its 15 members participating. Two black House Democrats, Bill Patmon and John Barnes Jr., both of Cleveland, are not members and were not involved in the meeting.
Williams added that she is getting pressure from the national Democratic Party, which has an interest in how the maps are drawn and how that might affect next year's presidential election, with President Obama up for re-election.
"All eyes are on the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus because of this situation," Williams said.
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine blasted the Democrats' actions.
"When it comes to congressional redistricting, the Democrats' motives have more to do with appeasing Nancy Pelosi and reelecting Barack Obama than what is in the best interest of Ohio voters," DeWine said.
Plain Dealer Reporter Aaron Marshall contributed to this report.