SACRAMENTO -- When the Ohio Supreme Court first struck down state legislative maps drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor suggested that Ohioans consider the creation of “a truly independent, nonpartisan commission that more effectively distances the redistricting process from partisan politics.” As a current member of California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission, I thought this would be a good opportunity to tell you about why independent redistricting might be the right approach for Ohio.
A century ago, my grandparents immigrated from southern China and settled in Oakland, where my parents and then my generation were all born and raised. We attended public schools and were active in our Baptist church. I was raised to be law-abiding, to read the paper daily, to vote in every election, and to be a good neighbor. I was taught to value personal and family responsibility, financial prudence, academic achievement, and respect for authority. Based on such values, we were a Republican home. When I came of age in 1979, I registered as a Republican and have been one ever since.