One of the state鈥檚 leading Christian coalitions has strong words for the Republican Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court after she and the court鈥檚 Democrats from the Republican-dominated Ohio Redistricting Commission.
But another influential Christian group isn鈥檛 saying much.
After the 4-3 ruling rejecting the latest legislative maps, in which Chief Justice Maureen O鈥機onnor once again sided with the Court's minority Democratic justices, the Ohio Christian Alliance issued a statement that said O鈥機onnor could face impeachment because of her 鈥渞ogue manner鈥� and that鈥檚 she鈥檚 joined 鈥渢he radical left by trying to disrupt the 2022 mid-terms鈥�.
The Ohio Christian Alliance has this response: 鈥淚t's time to move on and ignore the court鈥� and if Chief Justice O鈥機onnor 鈥渨ants to continue in her rogue manner, as she has obviously joined the radical left by trying to disrupt the 2022 mid-terms, she may be facing impeachment.鈥�
— Karen Kasler (@karenkasler)
The Court ruled the maps were unconstitutional based on the 2015 amendment approved overwhelmingly by voters. The ruling said the maps failed to meet the state's constitutional requirement for maps to reflect the partisan voter preference of Ohio. The maps would likely give Republicans 57% of the seats in the Statehouse for the next two years. The first ruling in the maps case indicated voters have split about 54% Republican and 46% Democratic in statewide elections.
But Aaron Baer with the group Center for Christian Virtue said his organization hasn鈥檛 commented on redistricting so far, and isn't doing so now.
But he did say, "we鈥檙e frustrated by the Court鈥檚 stepping in an area where they very clearly don鈥檛 have authority. But at the same time, we鈥檙e focused now on telling people about the dangers of marijuana, trying to pass the Backpack Bill 鈥� we鈥檝e got our plate pretty full here at CCV.鈥�
On Tuesday, CCV announced its opposition to the potential legalization of marijuana in Ohio. The organization has been championing the universal school voucher measure known as the "Backpack Bill" for a few months.
Baer's remark echoes the comments from the court鈥檚 three Republicans.
In one of the two dissents, Justices Sharon Kennedy and Pat DeWine 鈥� son of Gov. Mike DeWine, who鈥檚 on the redistricting commission 鈥� wrote 鈥渙ne must wonder which seven-member body is the true redistricting commission鈥攖he constitutionally named officers or this court?"
