Bill Text: OH HB324 | 2011-2012 | 129th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: To specify that plans of apportionment for members of the General Assembly must include or be accompanied by a district map and corresponding list of census blocks, to specify a time by which plans of apportionment must be ready, to specify that the plans of apportionment must receive a public hearing at four locations throughout the state, and to declare an emergency.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-09-13 - To State Government & Elections [HB324 Detail]

Download: Ohio-2011-HB324-Introduced.html

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As Introduced

129th General Assembly Regular Session 2011-2012

H. B. No. 324

Representatives Clyde, Letson 

Cosponsors: Representatives Lundy, Sykes 

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A BILL

To enact sections 3521.11 and 3521.12 of the Revised

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Code to specify that plans of apportionment for

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members of the General Assembly must include or be

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accompanied by a district map and corresponding

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list of census blocks, to specify a time by which

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plans of apportionment must be ready, to specify

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that the plans of apportionment must receive a

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public hearing at four locations throughout the

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state, and to declare an emergency.

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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 3521.11 and 3521.12 of the Revised	10
Code be enacted to read as follows:	11

Sec. 3521.11.  (A) The persons responsible for the	12
apportionment of the state for members of the general assembly	13
under Ohio Constitution, Article XI, Section 1, shall neither	14
prepare nor accept from another a plan of apportionment that does	15
not include or that is not accompanied by a map of Ohio outlining	16
the general assembly districts and the corresponding list of	17
census block assignments as they would be apportioned by the plan.	18

(B) A plan of apportionment and map shall be prepared by the	19
persons responsible for the apportionment not later than three	20
weeks before the date by which the plan of apportionment is	21
required to be established. Plans submitted by members of the	22
public also shall be submitted three weeks prior to the deadline	23
for the adoption of an apportionment plan.	24

The persons responsible for apportionment shall make public	25
all plans produced and submitted three weeks before the deadline	26
for plan adoption. In making the plans public, the persons	27
responsible for apportionment shall display images or interactive	28
versions of the maps in a physical location and online through the	29
internet and shall make the data and electronic files that	30
describe each plan available to the public electronically in a	31
format that allows for meaningful analysis with computerized	32
systems.	33

Sec. 3521.12.  The persons responsible for the apportionment	34
of the state for members of the general assembly under Ohio	35
Constitution, Article XI, Section 1 shall conduct four public	36
hearings, at four different locations in the state, on the	37
proposed plan or plans of apportionment that the persons	38
responsible for the apportionment have under consideration. The	39
public hearings shall commence not later than two weeks before the	40
date by which the plan of apportionment is required to be	41
established. The persons responsible for the apportionment shall	42
select locations for the public hearings so that one is conducted	43
centrally in Columbus, one is conducted in the southwestern	44
quadrant of the state, one is conducted in the northwestern	45
quadrant of the state, and one is conducted in the eastern half of	46
the state. The persons responsible for the apportionment shall	47
select sites for the public hearings that are most convenient to	48
the largest number of residents in the region in which a public	49
hearing is to be conducted.	50

At a public hearing, any person may appear before the persons	51
responsible for the apportionment and comment orally, in writing,	52
or orally and in writing on the plan or plans of apportionment the	53
persons responsible for the apportionment have under	54
consideration. The persons responsible for the apportionment shall	55
receive all relevant comments. A person who desires to offer only	56
written comment is not required actually to appear before the	57
persons responsible for the apportionment, but may do so by	58
transmitting the written comment to the persons responsible for	59
the apportionment so that the written comment is received before	60
the public hearings conclude.	61

The persons responsible for the apportionment shall give	62
notice of the public hearings in such a manner that the notice	63
will be reasonably likely to inform all persons residing in the	64
state in a timely fashion of their right to appear and comment on	65
the plan of apportionment at one of the public hearings. The site	66
and the date and time of each public hearing shall be stated in	67
the notice. Instructions for transmitting written comments to the	68
persons responsible for the apportionment shall be included in the	69
notice.	70

The persons responsible for the apportionment shall publish	71
the plan or plans of apportionment that are under consideration in	72
the register of Ohio. When a map accompanies a plan of	73
apportionment, the map shall be appended to the plan as published	74
in the register of Ohio. Instructions for accessing the plan or	75
plans of apportionment through the register of Ohio shall be	76
included in the notice.	77

Section 2.  This act is an emergency measure that is	78
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace,	79
health, and safety. Because this act requires the plan or plans of	80
apportionment for the General Assembly that are under	81
consideration to be given public hearings at four different	82
locations throughout the state, and because a plan of	83
apportionment must be established by October 1, 2011, it is	84
necessary that this act go into effect as soon as possible if the	85
persons responsible for the apportionment are to have the benefit	86
of the public hearings before publishing the plan of	87
apportionment. Therefore this act goes into immediate effect.	88