Redistricting panel advances 9 Michigan maps for final public comment
Nine maps that could play a starring role in Michigan’s elections for the next decade will advance to 45 days of public comment later this month.
After weeks of marathon meetings, hundreds of public comments and sometimes heated debate, Michigan’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission advanced on Thursday the last of its maps for consideration. The final products include three U.S. House, three state House and three state Senate maps that set the district lines for 13 congressional races, 110 House seats and 38 Senate seats.
The maps from the 2018 voter-approved 13-member commission — which includes four Republicans, four Democrats and four non-affiliated members — mark the first time Michigan’s voting maps were redrawn by an independent body. In past redistricting cycles, the maps were drawn by the party in power every 10 years, resulting in maps that were drawn to favor one party over another.