The number one reason I’m voting in November may surprise you. It’s to vote YES on Issue 1.
As the General Counsel for the Ohio Environmental Council, I continually witness corrupt politicians put the interests of oil and gas companies over the people of Ohio and the environment we all depend on. Politicians disregard environmental justice because they believe they, not the voters, have all the power in Ohio. It’s time for the citizens of Ohio to take back power from politicians.
It’s far past time we ended gerrymandering in Ohio for good. The only way to do that is by passing Issue 1.
Environmental Justice, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ensures that all people, regardless of race, income, or background, are equally protected from environmental hazards. Communities will see environmental justice when they have equal access to decision-making processes that affect their environment and health.
We see environmental injustices all around us, from the complexities of drinking water infrastructure to the affordability of energy to power our homes. These environmental injustices are a direct result of gerrymandering in Ohio.
When Ohio’s politicians put their political party above citizens by drawing districts for themselves and their friends, they do not consider environmental justice. They do not consider whether all people in our state have access to positions of power—the positions creating policies that impact human health and the environment. All they care about is retaining their power.
Ohio is one of the 10 most gerrymandered states in the country. In 2021 and 2022, Ohio politicians drew gerrymandered maps seven times, and all seven times, the Ohio Supreme Court found them unconstitutional.
During those legal fights to appeal our most recently gerrymandered maps, the Ohio Environmental Council analyzed the maps and noted how the maps divided communities most impacted by environmental injustices. When politicians draw maps to favor themselves, they dismantle communities that experience the same environmental hazards. Those communities deserve to be kept together. They deserve to exercise their political power together, to fight against the environmental injustices they face.
And Issue 1 gives Ohio communities the power they deserve.
When Issue 1 passes, fifteen Ohioans—not lobbyists, not politicians—will work collaboratively to draw districts that represent our great state. They’ll keep communities together. They’ll ignore the desires of politicians wanting to protect their friends in office. They’ll listen to Ohioans from Lake Erie to the Ohio River in the most transparent redistricting process we’ve ever seen.
A fair and transparent process that puts people first? That sounds like environmental justice to me.
I have lived in Ohio for twenty-seven years. I have been able to vote in this state since 2012. In every election I’ve cast a vote, I’ve been voting in gerrymandered districts. I’ve never felt truly represented by the Ohio General Assembly or our delegation to Congress.
I know there are thousands of young Ohioans who feel like me. We want a General Assembly that is truly responsive to the people—not to a political party. We want environmental justice for our communities. An independent, citizen-driven redistricting commission will build the framework we deserve for present and future generations.
That’s why I’m voting Yes on Issue 1. And for everyone who cares about clean water, clean air, and environmental justice, I urge you to join me in voting Yes, too.
Chris Tavenor is General Counsel for the Ohio Environmental Council, where they lead the organization’s legal fights for a healthy democracy and a clean Ohio. Over their time with the OEC, Chris has represented the organization before the Ohio Supreme Court, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the Ohio Power Siting Board, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Review Appeals Commission, and beyond.