Vernon Sigl, 85, of Billings, MT, formerly of Lefor, ND, passed away July 20th, 2024.

Vernon was born on December 20, 1938 to Joseph C. Sigl and Elizabeth Lefor. After high school, Vernon joined the Air Force and then went to photography school.

Vernon married Rose Farkas, formerly from Hungary, in Manhattan, NY on March 20, 1971.

Vernon is preceded in death by his parents, wife Rose, and three brothers, Larry, Tim, and Eugene. Brothers-in-law, Gregory Baxter and Mokey Dinius.

Survivors include his sisters, Evelyn Baxter of San Jose, CA, Jane Dinius of Billings, MT, Shirlene Shippen of Billings, MT, Sisters-in-law, Mari Jo Sigl of Bismarck, ND, and Helen Barrale of New Jersey.

Services will be July 31st at Dahl Funeral Chapel Billings, MT www.dahlfuneralchapel.com

Voters in Ohio will soon be given the opportunity to overhaul how the state draws its congressional and legislative maps. 

Citizens Not Politicians, the coalition of organizations behind the constitutional amendment, sent Secretary of State Frank LaRose more than 700,000 signatures earlier this month, and LaRose certified 535,000 signatures last week. The existing maps, enacted in 2020, were drawn by a Republican-led commission of elected officials and have been repeatedly found unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

“This certification is a historic step towards restoring fairness in Ohio’s electoral process,” retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said in a statement. 

“With this amendment on the ballot, Ohioans have the chance to reclaim their power from the self-serving politicians who want to stay in power long past their expiration date,” the statement continued.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission is made up of seven spots, two of which always go to Republicans and two always go to Democrats. The three remaining seats include the governor, the secretary of state, and the auditor, who are all presently Republicans.

If approved, the constitutional amendment would overhaul the Ohio Redistricting Commission and create a 15-member citizen commission. Current politicians, registered lobbyists, and large political donors would be prohibited from joining the commission.

Republicans in the state now hold around 70% of all legislative seats, but they only received about 56% of the statewide vote in recent election cycles, according to Axios.

“It was such an incredible feeling to know that we made the ballot,” Jen Miller from the League of Women Voters, which is a part of Citizens Not Politicians, said. “This is about the everyday people of Ohio taking power back.”

“When politicians and lobbyists get to rig maps, it harms every Ohio voter and our democracy,” she added.

​CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

This is the only statewide ballot initiative on the Ohio ballot this election. Republican state Senate President Matt Huffman has been a vocal critic of the proposal.

“I think that the people who are making an important decision like this ought to be elected officials who are accountable to the public, not unknown bureaucrats somewhere, someplace,” Huffman told ABC 5 Cleveland.

Jaxon Thorson is an Emerging Media Producer for South Dakota Public Broadcasting. As a filmmaker, Jaxon loves to tell stories through Photos & Video. He attended the University of South Dakota where he majored in Media & Journalism and Minored in German & Film. Jaxon grew up in Rapid City and travels to Germany for visits with his family. He also enjoys going to the movies and listening to music.