DENVER -- Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) told Hannah News Tuesday that while there is not any decision on how lawmakers will move forward after the Ohio Supreme Court struck down the most recent congressional map, he is not sure it will be practical for lawmakers to get it done in the 30 days prescribed by law.

In a 4-3 decision issued last month, the Court invalidated the second set of congressional district boundaries by the Ohio Redistricting Commission earlier this year, ordering a new set of maps to be produced under the provisions of the Ohio Constitution. (See The Hannah Report, 7/19/22.)

Under Article XIX of the Ohio Constitution, the General Assembly has 30 days to produce a new plan if a Court invalidates an adopted plan. If lawmakers fail within that timeframe, it goes to the Ohio Redistricting Commission, which has another 30 days to adopt a new plan.

Huffman said there is no decision on how to proceed at this point.

“Part of the issue in terms of a legislative decision is there’s a primary Aug. 2 and getting everyone’s collective attention to come back and have committee hearings and doing all of that is certainly problematic as an understatement,” Huffman said.

He said as a practical matter, drawing a new map and getting both chambers to agree to it, as well as getting two-thirds of each chamber to vote in favor of it for it to take effectively is going to be difficult in the 30-day time limit.

“I don’t know the practicality about it. I think that’s not going to work,” Huffman said.