Packing, Cracking, and Race in Redistricting:  What You Need to Know to Make a Difference in Ohio

Thursday, September 2nd, 2021 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM via Zoom

REAL stands for Racial Equity and the Law. CMBA REAL Talks are free and open public forums via Zoom and Facebook Live where the goal is to put talk into action. This REAL Talk has been developed by the CMBA’s Workgroup on Dismantling Systemic & Negotiated Racism.

About this Program:
The discussion will look at how gerrymandering hurts every voter and what people can do now to support fair redistricting in Ohio. It will explore “packing” and “cracking”—the common ways districts are distorted in unfair ways. Relevant to our group’s core issue of dismantling systemic racism, the panel will discuss how race plays a role in gerrymandering. We will talk about communities of interest and what fairness looks like as well as how to get greater accountability from our legislators as a result of having greater fairness in how districts are drawn. There will be some action points of what people can do. 

Panel:

Jen Miller,
Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio

Raised in small town Ohio, Miller has over twenty years' experience working with diverse communities to promote social justice and civic action through positions with Columbus Recreation and Parks, Martin Luther Jr. King Arts Complex, the Ohio State University, and Global Gallery. Miller earned her Master's in Arts Policy, Education and Administration, a program of the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at Ohio State. She holds bachelor's degrees in Vocal Music and History and Ethnic Studies from Capital University. Miller is a graduate of the US Department of Energy NREL Leadership Academy. She is a board member for the Ohio Debate Commission, the Ohio History Connection, and Kids Voting Ohio. Inspiring others to participate in civic engagement is her deepest passion. She is a jazz singer and proud mother of one daughter.



Collin Marozzi,
Political Strategist for ACLU of Ohio

Collin Marozzi serves as policy strategists for the ACLU of Ohio. Based out of the Columbus office, Collin works with coalition partners, community stakeholders, and elected officials to advance the ACLU’s agenda. Though always on the lookout for new advocacy opportunities, Collin is primarily focused on enacting criminal justice reforms, ensuring equal protection for the LGBTQ community, and expanding voting rights.

Before joining the ACLU of Ohio in January of 2020, Collin spent over two years working in the Ohio Legislature, first as a Legislative Service Commission Fellow and then as senior legislative aide to Senator Vernon Sykes. During his time in the General Assembly, Collin worked on the formulation of Senate Joint Resolution 5, a measure to reform Ohio’s congressional redistricting process. Senate Joint Resolution 5 would go on the May 2018 ballot as Issue 1 and pass with nearly 75% of the vote.

Collin earned his BA in Political Science from Allegheny College in May of 2012. He then went on to pursue his graduate studies at the University of Akron where he received a Masters of Applied Politics from UA’s Bliss Institute. While studying at the Bliss Institute, Collin had the opportunity to intern with Common Cause Ohio and Senator Sherrod Brown’s office in Columbus.
 

Co-Moderator:
Diane Citrino, Esq. 


Co-Moderator:
Magistrate Khalilah Lawson,
Cuyahoga County Probate Court