The battle over Michigan's state House districts is reaching fever pitch as a panel of three federal judges has deemed the current maps unconstitutional, citing racially motivated gerrymandering in Detroit and surrounding areas. The Michigan Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission is now racing against the clock, with a deadline of Feb. 2, to publish new maps that pass constitutional muster, reported Michigan Advance.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the commission, composed of 13 randomly selected voters, is seeking input from residents, particularly those affected by the redistricting. Public meetings in Detroit are slated for a marathon session next week, running from Monday, Jan. 22 through Friday, Jan. 26, at Huntington Place and Cadillac Place.
The MICRC, which was created by a voter-approved constitutional amendment in 2018, replacing the previous system where the Legislature and governor controlled the redrawing of districts every ten years, has been thrust into a delicate task. Charged ordered to create new districts without taking race into account, the commission is reconfiguring parts of Detroit and its suburbs, said Commissioner Rebecca Szetela, quoted by the Michigan Advance.
Yet, even as the commission hews to its path, uncertainty lingers with appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court hanging like Damocles’ sword over the process. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, seeking to keep the current maps until after the 2024 elections to avoid "electoral chaos," along with the commission, appealed the federal panel's ruling, a move contested by attorneys representing the metro Detroit voters challenging the commission’s work, Bridge Michigan outlined.
Public hearings for citizen input to weigh in on the redrawing are due to the sprinting next week. "The Commission will meet the targeted deadline of Friday, Feb. 2 to propose new maps," assured MICRC Executive Director Edward Woods in an email pointed out by Michigan Advance. Details on how to engage with the commission are available on the commission's website for those interested in participating.
