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Commissioners pick new metro Detroit districts after court order to redraw some boundaries

By Jack Nissen
Published  February 29, 2024 12:25pm EST
Election
FOX 2 Detroit

Redistricting commission meets on new boundaries

After a panel of three federal judges unequivocally sided with the plaintiffs who sued the Michigan Independent Redistricting Commission over their chosen map, commissioners were told to go back to the drawing for several metro Detroit districts.

(FOX 2) - Commissioners approved a new map that redraws Michigan House districts in accordance with the constitution after the group was ordered to come up with new boundaries by a federal court.

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission sided with the ‘Motown Sound E1' map following two rounds of voting during Wednesday’s meeting. 

The new map was popular among those that attended the commission's public meeting last week, with many Detroit residents offering "overwhelmingly positive feedback", Commissioner Brittni Kellom said.

"So many people spoke up for that map. That's my choice," said Commissioner Elaine Andrade.

The commission was ordered to redraw more than two dozen Michigan state House districts after a federal court in Grand Rapids ruled they were unconstitutional. They sided with plaintiffs from Detroit who argued the original map approved in 2021 diluted the power of Black voters.

In addition to the public and commissioners, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at MSU also approved of the map.

The commission "responded to the Court order by listening to the citizens of Detroit and quickly moving forward with a new map. I'm happy to say that we think it addresses the court's concerns, improves on the previous map, and will improve representation in Detroit and Southeast Michigan," said Matt Grossman, director of the IPPSR.