The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 24, 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.

We reported January 16th on a federal court finding that maps drawn by Michigan’s Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission diluted Black voting power and must be redrawn.  An appeal to keep the existing maps was declined Monday by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Michigan voters created the independent commission in 2018 through a constitutional referendum to put an end to gerrymandering.  Detroit civil rights groups objected to the commission’s proposed maps during 2021 hearings, but the MICRC’s consultants concluded the districts met federal Voting Rights Act guidelines. 

A federal court panel disagreed, finding that the commission diluted Black majority districts. The court ordered 13 greater Detroit house districts be redrawn by February 2nd, and six Senate maps by April.  On January 11th, the MICRC asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the order, but SCOTUS declined on Jan. 22nd.   

But, there’s a partisan twist to the story. Nineteen Black voters representing 13 districts were plaintiffs in the case.  The Michigan Advance reports they were represented by a Republican former solicitor general for the state of Michigan. And it was mostly White, conservative suburbs which were redistricted with largely Black, more liberal Detroit neighborhoods.  Michigan’s House is composed of 56 Democrats and 54 Republicans, and all are up for reelection in November 2024. 

A special master will review the maps for compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Democracy Docket – Michigan Legislative Redistricting Challenge (Agee)
Michigan Advance – Bombshell ruling requires 13 Michigan districts to be redrawn before 2024 election
American Democracy Minute – Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission’s Maps for Greater Detroit Under Scrutiny for Voting Rights Act Violations. What Happened?
U.S. Supreme Court – Emergency Appeal by Michigan Citizen Redistricting Commission for Stay
Michigan Advance – U.S. Supreme Court rejects request to halt Michigan House map redraw
Democracy Docket – U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Halt Redraw of Michigan’s Legislative Maps
Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission – Website & Draft 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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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #VotingRightsAct #MichiganPolitics

The post SCOTUS Declines Stay Request from Michigan’s Independent Redistricting Commission; 19 State House & Senate Districts to be Redrawn appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

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

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #VotingRightsAct  #PromotetheVote #MichiganPolitics

The post Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission’s Maps for Greater Detroit Under Scrutiny for Voting Rights Act Violations. What Happened? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.