Tag: redistricting committee

Former Justice Urges Michigan Redistricting Committee to Ignore UM Advice, Use Geographical – Not Ethnic – Boundaries

The Center Square

Former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman urged Michigan’s independent redistricting committee to use geographical boundaries instead of racial, ethnic, or religious groups to determine the state’s new voting boundaries.

Markman took to the Wall Street Journal opinion page June 25 to air his concerns.

Markman, who retired from the Michigan Supreme Court in 2020, supports drawing boundaries via neighborhoods, instead of “communities of interest,” such as shared concerns for which a University of Michigan report advocated.

Read More

Michigan SOS Benson Asks Top Court to Push Back Redistricting Committee Deadline

The Center Square

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has filed suit with the Michigan Supreme Court to ensure the public has time to provide feedback on the new voting district maps that will be drawn by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC). 

The suit describes the current constitutional deadline as unrealistic since it requires the commission to make maps available for 45 days of public comment starting on Sept. 17, even though the U.S. Census Bureaus won’t have official data until Sept. 30. The U.S. Census Bureau cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the delay.

Read More