The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 16, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
In December 2023, a federal court threw out state redistricting maps for greater Detroit, drawn by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, or MICRC. Truly independent redistricting is the gold standard; so what happened?
The three-judge panel found that 13 state legislature voting districts had been racially diluted by the 13-member citizen commission, making it harder for a Black majority-minority district to elect a candidate of its choice as stipulated by the Voting Rights Act Section 2.
MICRC members are randomly chosen from a pool of applicants to minimize partisan manipulation. But, the court found that member inexperience meant reliance on experts for guidance to balance communities of interests and requirements of the Voting Rights Act.
Those experts suggested the commission merge some of the primarily Black and less-affluent Detroit districts, with primarily White and highly-affluent suburbs Gross Pointe, Bloomfield Hills, and Birmingham. Also curious, it was a Republican group which hired a Republican former state solicitor general to file the case. Republican AGs have openly defied Voting Rights Act rules in other states.
The Michigan Advance reports that January 8th, the court directed that new maps be drawn by February 2nd. On January 11th, the MICRC appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay, asking for the existing maps to stay in place.
Find more on this evolving story at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Michigan Advance – Bombshell ruling requires 13 Michigan districts to be redrawn before 2024 election
Detroit Free Press – Court orders metro Detroit legislative maps redrawn
U.S District Court via Democracy Docket – Opinion and Order – Agee vs. Benson
Bridge Michigan – Experts: ‘Everything up in the air’ now that Michigan districts must be redrawn
Democracy Docket – Redistricting Decisions Will Reshape Legislative Maps in Wisconsin and Michigan
Michigan Advance – Federal court orders redistricting commission to draw new state House districts by Feb. 2
The Hill – Michigan redistricting panel asks court for permission to use unconstitutional maps
Groups Taking Action:
Voters Not Politicians, League of Women Voters MI, NAACP Michigan State Conference, Detroit Action, Promote the Vote MI
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