OHIO HOUSE: 50TH (HAGAN), 51ST (SCHURING), 52ND (SLESNICK) TO BE RESHAPED? OHIO SENATE: 29TH (OELSLAGER) TO BE RESHAPED?

Every ten years the Ohio Constitution requires that house (99) and senate (33) be reconstituted to ensure with a margin of error set forth in the Constitution that they are roughly equal population-wise using U.S. census data.

But the Constitution does not keep the two major parties (when in power terms of the composition of the Apportionment Board make up) from contorting and configuring the districts to put the ruling party's candidates for house and senate seats at an advantage.  It's call gerrymandering.

Most of Stark County is represented by Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly (OGA).  Canton and Canton Township have representation by a Democrat as does a sliver of eastern Stark County (Mark Okey, the 61st House District and Joe Schiavoni, the 33rd Senate District).

And such is likely to remain the status of Stark County given the make up of the 2011 OGA Apportionment Board (AB), to wit:

However, the actual configuration of the districts could change.

Take the 50th District (2002 - 2012)

 

And the requirement of the Ohio Constitution:

§ 07 Boundary lines of House and Representatives districts
(A) Every house of representatives district shall be compact and composed of contiguous territory, and the boundary of each district shall be a single nonintersecting continuous line. To the extent consistent with the requirements of section 3 of this Article, the boundary lines of districts shall be so drawn as to delineate an area containing one or more whole counties.

Is the 50th "compact?"

Hmm?

Here is it's predecessor district, the 56th (1992 - 2002):

Here is the 56th predecessor the 49th (1992 - 2001):

On August 24th, Stark County will be the site of one of the Apportionment Board's regional hearings.  From 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Walsh University's Barrette Center board members will take input from area Ohioans who want a say in how Stark's districts are put together.

The 50th used to be the 56th which used to be the 49th which was represented Democrat Johnnie A. Maier, Jr (the 49th and 56th) for the period January 3, 1991 through December 31, 1999.  When Maier started out the district was Democratic leaning.  An effort was made by Republicans in 1992 to re-district Maier out by changing it to a solidly Republican District.  But as an incumbent, Maier was able to withstand the gerrymandering done by the GOP until he was term-limited out in 1999.

Republican John Hagan (a Republican Marlboro Township trustee who Maier had defeated 71% to 29% in 1998) won the district by a scant 1,023 votes over Lawrence Township Trustee and Democrat Michael Stevens.

Since Hagan won the district (which turned into the 50th in 2002), it has been a solid Republican.

For those Stark Countians who want to weigh-in on the composition of the 50th, the 51st, the 52nd and the 29th, August 24th is the opportunity to do so and the chance only presents itself once every ten years.

Here is a link to the Ohio secretary of state office from which Ohioans/Stark Countians and get it a try at redistricting.

Give it a try!

TRACKING OUR LEGISLATORS: STEPHEN SLESNICK - OHIO HOUSE (52ND) - DEMOCRAT

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) has embarked on a"tracking our legislators" series.

The first track was of Congressman John Boccieri (16th - which includes Stark County) who issued the perfunctory press release highlighting the fact that the good congressman had introduced his first bill in Congress since taking the oath of office.

The bill: HB 545. This is a bill to provide for a research and development tax credit for predominantly domestic companies. CLICK HERE to see the initial SCPR story.

On March 23rd The Report asked Congressman Boccieri about what this bill will do for the 16th congressional district (focusing on Stark County.)

So far, no response! Only a promise of a response. How long to you suppose this will take? Perhaps, The Report should have asked to be a part of Boccieri's 2,200 person conference call. How many of these folks got the questions answered?

But it does make for good PR. The Report is beginning to suspect that "looking good" might be Boccieri's major asset.

Today, the SCPR turns attention to Canton legislator Stephen Slesnick.

In perusing the Ohio House webite, The Report zeroed in on bill on which Slesnick is a sponsor: HB 3.

Readers need to know that Democrat Slesnick is not a "primary" sponsor of any legislation. A surprising find to The Report because he has been in office for over a year now (having succeeded William J. Healy, II) when he was elected Mayor of Canton).

In contrast, his Republican colleague from the 50th (which is basically a horseshoe shape on the outer fringes of Stark County) Todd Snitchler (who just took office in January, 2009) has already introduced legislation as a primary sponsor.

Getting back to Slesnick and HB 3.

HB 3 is popularly known as The Home Foreclosure Prevention Act.

Here is a graphic which shows Slesnick as a sponsor:




Undoubtedly, the co-sponsored bill is one that engenders a lot of sympathy for those Ohioans that this legislation will help.

But there is a problem.

This bill is not likely to become law, even if it gets passed, because it has serious constitutional problems. CLICK HERE to get a version of those problems.



We are working on three (3) days now that the SCPR has not heard "boo" from Representative Slesnick.

Maybe he can tell The Report and his constituents why he believes that his co-sponsorship is consistent with his taking the oath of office (pictured above).

But will he?

Slesnick has every appearance of so many elected public officials. They only deal with "softball" questions.

In The Report's book these folks are not entitled to ignore the "hard questions." They are, whether or not they want to own up, accountable to all of us.

The Report will dog Slesnick until he gives a response.

He can give his response in the comfort of his office by sending a return e-mail or he can face The Report in a public venue some time down the road.

Which is it going to be Representative Slesnick?

DISCUSSION: 52ND DISTRICT - DOES AGE MAKE A DIFFERENCE? EASTERDAY , AGE 69 VERSUS SLESNICK, AGE 30?

John M. Easterday (Republican - Canton) has been in business for 37 years.

Stephen D. Slesnick (Democrat - Canton and the sitting "appointed" successor to William Healy, II) is only 30 years old.

At age 69, Easterday makes the point that he is not likely to be a career politician. Slesnick was a surprise nominee coming out of Democratic primary because he did run against a number of career politicians. Does his youth and early political success suggest that Slesnick is on his way to becoming a career politician himself?

Easterday promotes, as an advantage to his candidacy, that he doesn't have to learn by his mistakes; that he as a business person for decades now, knows what works and what doesn't. In effect, Easterday is trying to use his age as a positive.

Slesnick is from a well-known Canton area scrap metal business who has been provided an avenue into business by his family. By virtue of his youth, it stands to reason that Slesnick has much to learn about the "lessons of life" that Easterday claims he has already mastered.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) in reviewing the contestants answers to questionnaires constructed by and published by The Repository (link to Easterday and Slesnick), assesses that Slesnick has a better handle on Ohio issues that impact Stark County. In fact, Easterday failed to respond to the question: "What are the Stark County issues that need attention in Columbus?"

In a previous write-up on this race, The Report noted that Slesnick impresses as a sitting "appointed" representative by his virtue of his initiative in communication with constituents and the media on his early work in the Legislature.

Easterday has a huge uphill climb to best Slesnick in November - a task that The Report believes in not doable; provided, of course, that nothing lurks in Slesnick's past or in his conduct through November 4th that dramatically changes the complexion of the 52nd District contest.

The Report believea that this contest's outcome is a safe bet for Slesnick and he will be focusing on helping Celeste DeHoff in the 50th to take away a Republican seat.

It makes sense for Slesnick to do so. If the Democrats gain control of the Ohio House; control will empower Slesnick to make headway on his twin campaign goals of fixing public education financing and Ohio's economical development.

The difference between Slesnick and DeHoff is that The Report looks for Slesnick to be given a leadership role in the Ohio General Assembly whereas DeHoff will not, if she makes it at all.

The questions: Will the Slesnick/Easterday contest devolve into a age issue? Is this a race at all? Will Slesnick be energizing the DeHoff face off with Todd Snitchler?