NEWBURY — The state’s redistricting commission heard testimony from witnesses on Monday morning regarding proposed new maps for the Ohio Legislature.

For Ashtabula County, the proposed maps are similar to those used in 2022, with one major difference. The 2022 map had Conneaut, North Kingsville, Ashtabula township and city, Plymouth Township, Saybrook Township, Geneva township and city, Geneva-on-the-Lake, and Harpersfield and Trumbull townships as part of the state’s 99th district, along with a significant portion of Geauga County, currently represented by Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula). The remainder of the county was part of the 65th district, currently represented by Mike Loychik (R-Bazetta). The proposed maps take a portion of Harpersfield Township and the city of Geneva from the 99th district and move them to the 65th district. There are also changes to southern end of the 65th district.

Keith Faber, co-chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, said there was a relatively long list of people wishing to speak at the hearing. He thanked staff at Punderson State Park Manor, along with members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and others, who made the location available and kept the event running.

Kevin Morgan, a resident of Montville, said the 99th district has been a perfect example of gerrymandering.

“It goes around Geneva and it goes up and grabs Ashtabula city, which I’m presuming was the intent, to grab some of those Democratic votes in Ashtabula city,” he said. “Those numbers could be overwhelmed by fairly Republican Geauga County. That’s the nefarious part of it all, and that’s what disgusts me.”

Morgan, who said he is a registered Republican, said based on the results of Ohio’s vote counts in the most recent presidential election, a fair district map would produce a map with somewhere in the neighborhood of the 55 Republican representatives in the house, and around 45 Democratic representatives.

Stephen Michael Kellat, of Ashtabula, said he prepared written testimony, but he diverted from it based on Morgan’s testimony. He said the 99th district has not been blessed with a choice for state representative.

“Our member of the house has made international headlines, and that’s been not a good thing,” Kellat said.

Fowler Arthur’s seat is safe, he said.

“This is cracking and packing,” Kellat said. “You’re literally taking your Democratic stronghold in northern Ashtabula County, and you’re attaching it to a predominantly Republican county, so all those Democratic voices are silenced.”

Kellat suggested keeping Ashtabula County whole.

“That’s a competitive district,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader and commission member Rob McColley said it is important to reiterate the difficulty caused by constitutional rules in drawing districts in northeastern Ohio.

“There aren’t a lot of options, per say, to draw house districts,” he said.

McColley said the state constitution requires Lake, Trumbull, Portage and Mahoning counties to have a whole house district included in their borders, since their population is larger than could be contained in a single house district.

“Obviously, in that corner of the state, that leaves the only ... Ashtabula and Geauga that are either surrounded by a Pennsylvania border, Lake Erie or other protected counties, that have to share districts,” McColley said.

William Weisenberg said he was disappointed that Monday’s hearing took place on Yom Kippur.

He said he has spent his entire professional life around the Ohio General Assembly.

“Right now, what concerns me as a citizen, is the fact that our public, our citizenry, has lost trust and confidence in our institutions of government,” Weisenberg said.

He encouraged the board to look at the process.

Faber said the commission added additional dates in an attempt to rectify the scheduling conflict.

Nickie J. Antonio, co-chair of the committee said a Monday night hearing was also scheduled to help people who are working and cannot attend hearings during the day.

Justin Tjaden, of Geneva-on-the-Lake, spoke about perception and reality.

The reality may be that committee members believe what they are doing is right.

“The perception seems to be, that as long as we have power, we will protect those who will help us keep it,” he said.

Tjaden said Rep. Jamie Callender from Lake County voted against a number of Republican bills and is working to legalize marijuana, and he was drawn into a district with an incumbent Democrat.

“The perception is, we are the new Ohio Republican Party, we are the government, and we are here to help whether you want it or not,” Tjaden said.

He said Democrats cannot draw maps either, citing a number of blue states.

Tjaden said he is a registered independent, and independents outnumber Republicans in the state.

Jennifer Miller said there are an infinite number of ways to draw a legislative map, and they can be drawn to be fair, or be drawn to gain an advantage.

She said she has reviewed a variety of the proposed maps, and all of them are more fair than the maps the committee is considering.

She cited the southern parts of the 65th district, the proposed version of which separates the village of McDonald and the city of Girard from Niles and Warren.

“All of these municipalities could be put into a single district, that are more similar than pairing these two with more rural northern areas of [Trumbull] county,” Miller said.

A second hearing was scheduled for Monday night.