COLUMBUS, Ohio — Just after midnight Thursday, the Ohio Redistricting Commission came to an agreement on the state’s future legislative maps that Ohio will only have four-year legislative maps. All five Republicans on the commission approved an amended version of the GOP’s Ohio House and Senate maps. The Democrats voted against them.

What You Need To Know

  • The new maps call for Republicans to maintain their supermajority in both chambers with 62 seats in the House and 23 in the Senate

  • The vote was 5-2 along party lines

  • Because only four-year maps were approved, six-year maps will have to be approved down the road

"I think it's important that this commission vote on a map that's constitutional. This is the only map. And with this amendment, will continue to be the only map that is constitutional and is submitted to the plan," said Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima.

The new maps call for Republicans to maintain their supermajority in both chambers with 62 seats in the House and 23 in the Senate. The statewide elected officials, Gov. Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and State Auditor Keith Faber said they had a lot of problems with the maps and the process but voted yes anyway. 

"I was very optimistic that we could continue discussion and frankly come up with a more clearly constitutional map but in discussions with the Democrat leaders tonight, legislative leaders as well as Republican leaders it was clear that we could go into tomorrow and the day after and the day after and it just wasn't going to be an agreement," said DeWine, R-Ohio.

Secretary LaRose, R-Ohio, went as far as to launch accusations against some commission members although he did not name names.

"It didn't have to be this way. Some of us worked in good faith in a bipartisan way to try to get a compromise. There are members of this committee who I do not believe worked in good faith to try to reach that compromise," LaRose said.

House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, got emotional as she described why she could not support the maps.

"I am always going to stand for the people who brought me here, whether it's those suffragettes, those civil rights fighters, the people of House District 34 the birthplace of champions. They got me here and I am proud to vote no on their behalf because I know they deserve better than this," she said. 

Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, who co-chairs the commission, said it is sad because he feels the process was destined to end this way.

"The three statewides really wanted us, the legislators, to come up with an agreement and that's the only way that they would buy into the process. So it was almost destined for failure because it was dependent upon the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate to agree with fairness, which would mean a reduction in their membership," said Vernon Sykes.

Because only four-year maps were approved, six-year maps will have to be approved down the road.​ However, a lot is expected to happen between now and then. Not only did nonpartisan redistricting advocates say they will take the maps to court, but even the Republicans predict they are likely going to be right back at the Statehouse working on better maps.