A Federal Judge Panel has Officially Signed-Off on a New Michigan Senate Map, after it was struck down for being Illegal at the end of 2023. The New House Maps will be used for this year’s Aug. 6th Primary, but the Senate Maps won’t be used until 2026 Primary.
Last December, the same Three-Judge Panel said the Maps that the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission submitted were Illegal, because the Commission used Race to decide on 13 different House and Senate Districts in the Detroit area.
The Commission was asked to Redraw the Maps. Friday’s Decision by the Federal Courts closed a long-awaited Chapter for Michigan Voters.
“It is a sense of relief when you’re under a court order and you’re found doing something that you don’t believe that you did. You can either complain or roll up your sleeves and work and the commission rolled up its sleeves and worked,” said Edward Woods III, the Executive Director of the Commission.
The Legal Challenge in December, 2023, was Spearheaded by Black Voters in and around Detroit.
“It was a little bit more convoluted because the commission said that they were taking race into consideration in order to maximize black representation in the state senate but many voters and candidates in Detroit did not agree with that,” said Matt Grossmann, Director of Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Research.
The Commission Redrew the House Map first for the Aug. 6th Primary. That Map was Approved at the end of March. The Commission was created after Voters Approved Amending the State Constitution back in 2018. Before then it was left up to the Governor.
“We really had a great opportunity to see the reality of democracy and not the idea of democracy which is democracy for the people, by the people,” said Edward Woods III.
There was a lot of Pushback from not only voters but also Candidates who would Run in the Districts. Feeling like Black Voters were Not being Represented enough. Currently, Detroit is 77% Black.
“I think people should know that these were individual citizens who had no experience in this, trying to listen to the advice of their consultants,” said Grossmann.
“No one wants to make an error, no one wants to disenfranchise anyone, no one from the commission wants anyone to feel left out and so it wasn’t intentional, even though we disagreed, we’re not going to do it... haphazard,” said Woods III.
Currently, both House & Senate are held by Democratic Majorities.
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