Litigation expected after Michigan redistricting committee adopts new legislative maps

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - After the Michigan redistricting commission votes next week to adopt new legislative maps, litigation is expected.

Those maps will be used for the next decade.

The commission will next meet Tuesday to receive public input and discuss the maps that will be adopted.

MORE: MI Supreme Court orders redistricting commission to release memos sought by news groups

Commission Chair Rebecca Szetela said she thinks "there's a good possibility" there could be substantial changes to the maps presented. 

In the Detroit area, the topic of so called majority-minority districts continues to persist. These are districts where the majority of constituents belong to a minority group.

State Sen. Adam Hollier, of Detroit, was elected from one of these districts. He has been leading the charge for the commission to maintain districts like his after Bruce Adelson, a lawyer advising, the commission suggested there is no such requirement to do so. 

"So, his argument first and in the closed meeting was that they don't even need to draw majority Black districts, and he said, ‘Hey you know, the judiciary’s become more conservative – they aren't going to hold that up,'" Hollier said. "So I have a healthy bit of skepticism after we've heard his real thoughts about drawing majority Black or VRA districts."

Hollier said that saying there is the opportunity to do it even though the odds are very low is the problem.

"I think the guidance from our counsel, Mr. Adelson, remains the same and hasn't changed, and that is that we do not have to have a specific percentage of minority-majority [sic] districts," Szetela said.

While the maps are expected next week, Dave Dulio, the director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Oakland University, said the process won't end there.

"That’s when we’ll see a flurry of court cases filed and put in the hands of the judicial branch," he said.

Szetela said she has expected litigation.

"You have to keep in mind that there were parties that sued to stop this commission from even ever sitting down and starting to draw maps," she said.

Public comments are still being sought about the proposed maps. Share what you think here.