12/22/23 - Court Says Legislative Lines Need To Be Redrawn

A federal court ruled that Michigan's redistricted maps are unconstitutional.

A panel of three federal judges ruled late Thursday that 13 of Michigan’s House and Senate districts, all currently held by Democrats, will need to be redrawn.

They were responding to a lawsuit that was filed by a group of lawmakers who contended that the new maps were illegally influenced by race. 

The current maps were drawn up by a commission of independent citizens.

The opinion came from U.S. Circuit Judge Raymond M. Kethledge and U.S. District Court Judges Paul L. Maloney and Janet T. Neff. 

The plaintiffs, 19 African-American Detroiters who live in 13 different Michigan House and Senate districts that each include a portion of Detroit, filed the suit in March 2022. 

The judges concluded that the MICRC improperly reduced Black voting percentages, preventing a “Black-preferred candidate” from successfully making it through a primary election.

Districts to be redrawn include seven from the House:

House District 1 – Rep. Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit)

House District 7 – Rep. Helena Scott (D-Detroit)

House District 8 – Rep. Mike McFall (D-Hazel Park)

House District 10 – House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit)

House District 11 – Rep. Veronica Paiz (D-Harper Woods)

House District 12 – Rep. Kimberly Edwards (D-Eastpointe)

House District 14 – Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit)

And six from the Senate:

Senate District 1 – Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor)

Senate District 3 – Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit)

Senate District 6 – Sen. Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Township)

Senate District 8 – Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak)

Senate District 10 – Sen. Paul Wojno (D-Warren)

Senate District 11 – Sen. Veronica Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe)

With Democrats having slender majorities in both chambers, including a current tie in the House following two resignations, the ruling threatens to have major implications for control of the Michigan Legislature

The judges set a Jan. 2 deadline for the plaintiffs and the MICRC to submit briefs addressing how legislative district boundaries should be redrawn.