Dark Money Redistricting Issue to Appear on Ballot in November
STATEWIDE - It seems like amendments to the Ohio Constitution are selling like hotcakes. Over the last few months, if you have taken a trip to your local library or other designated public space you may have been approached by “moderate” activists collecting signatures stating they wished to oppose gerrymandering. According to recent reports, the endeavor has yielded a surplus of signatures making its appearance on the November ballot a near certainty. But the attempt to put “citizens” back in the driver seat may be anything but.
According to recent reports, the “Citizens Not Politicians” amendment has gathered in excess of 730,000 signatures, far surpassing the 414,000 needed for the ballot initiative. Much like the abortion amendment, it has had significant backing and support, almost supernaturally so. While supporters of the endeavor state that the amendment will remove the district mapping from the hands of politicians and put it back into the hands of “the people,” opposition within the Republican party state that it will do exactly the opposite. The measure would seek to put redistricting in the hands of a “Citizen’s Commission” which is almost entirely unnamed and would be selected by retired judges, unelected and unaccountable to constituents.
“First, the individuals who are going to be deciding what the district maps are, how we figure out who that it's,” Senator Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. “It's almost impossible to know who that is. I think that the people who are making an important decision like this ought to be elected officials who are accountable to the public, not unknown bureaucrats, somewhere, someplace, and subject to whatever rules in a 32 page, single-spaced document.”
Huffman additionally addressed the potential cost of the amendment, which has been a point of some controversy.
“The Constitution says we have to pay them. That's a real problem. What if they decide, well, you know, we want to hire these folks and we're going to pay them half a million bucks apiece, and we're going to need a staff of ten people,” Huffman said. “We have to pay them. That's what the constitution of the state of Ohio will say that. So there's a lot of more, detail. But basically what I would say is no accountability, no restrictions on how you can draw districts and no, no financial accountability.”
The Citizens Not Politicians group has faced additional scrutiny by attempting to portray itself as a bipartisan organization, when, in fact, they are funded by international billionaires and ran by out-of-state Democrats.
The organization is led by President Sean Soendker Nicholson, an opposition researcher from Missouri who has led similar efforts in other states. Nicholson is the Executive Director and Founder of Progress Missouri, a liberal marketing and advocacy group, A principal at GPS Impact an organizations that helps progressive candidates win elections in conservative territories and Campaign Director for Clean Missouri, a progressive activist group pushing clean energy initiatives.
Nicholson’s previous campaigns in Missouri to push the same initiatives were funded by outside special interest groups such as George Soros’ philanthropic network. Other previous investors include The North Fund, which received backing from Arabella Advisors, which has become a dumping ground for finances from The Gates Foundation and others. Given Nicholson’s previous financial backers, it should come as no surprise that this new amendment initiative is funded by the same Globalist entities.
While Senate Bill 215 still wrestles it’s way through committee, Ohioans will have to decide in November if they agree with international billionaires that their election districts should be decided by unelected mystery councils behind closed doors and above reproach.
