Michigan has to redraw gerrymandered districts. The judges rule unanimously

“The court reached a unanimous decision, which found clear evidence of partisan gerrymandering in the state of Michigan. These unfair maps weaken our democracy, which is why the governor is urging all parties involved in this case to allow this ruling to stand so we can get to work drawing fair maps prior to the 2020 election. The governor looks forward to playing her part to ensure every vote counts in Michigan.”

2020 state elections just got interesting

Awesome

Great news. Voters shouldn't be picked by their representatives.

IDK if there's a more current thread on this, couldn't find it. This seems like a step in the right direction. Still can't believe there is so much red.

[tw]1445363724316037122[/tw]

Floyd Robertson wrote:IDK if there's a more current thread on this, couldn't find it. This seems like a step in the right direction. Still can't believe there is so much red.

[tw]1445363724316037122[/tw]

Everything north of I-69 in Clinton County should be red. The vast majority of blue votes come from the Lansing area. I suppose that's one of the reasons why they're having such a fun time with redistricting.

Floyd Robertson wrote:IDK if there's a more current thread on this, couldn't find it.  This seems like a step in the right direction. Still can't believe there is so much red.

[tw]1445363724316037122[/tw]

Geography verses population density is what you are seeing.  The area may be red but many fewer people live in it.  Districts are based on population size.

Noticed the commission appears to have drawn US House districts which favor a slight Democratic majority, 7 lean Dem, 6 lean Rep, which seems fair as the state wide vote has been slightly on the Dem side for years.

The State Senate map they had yesterday was leaning in favor of the Reps, and IMO it should lean slightly in favor of the Dems, for the reason stated above, as should the State House map.  Since the commission adjusted the US House map from one which strongly favored the Reps I am hopeful they will do the same for the State districts.

One thing they are doing is ignoring county lines, not sure if counties have any issues which are common to all the people in them.  Since the boundaries were drawn under the Jefferson land surveying rules which were for an economy based entirely on farming the boundaries are arbitrary, basically 36 miles on a side, so it makes sense to ignore them.

I see the commission has now a better map for the State Senate, to me a 50/50 split, which it isn't as it still has a Rep lean by one measure, is wrong in a state which votes state wide slightly Dem. It should be 20 / 18 for the Dems.

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/democrats-gop-could-split-michigan-senate-under-new-redistricting-maps

Updated map favors the Dems in the MI Senate, with the right ratio based on the statewide vote.

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/new-redistricting-map-would-give-democrats-edge-michigan-senate

TrapperGus wrote:Updated map favors the Dems in the MI Senate, with the right ratio based on the statewide vote.

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/new-redistricting-map-would-give-democrats-edge-michigan-senate

The howling from the republicans is about to get louder and the lawsuits more numerous.

The GOP knows through its own research that increasing voter participation isn’t to their advantage.

Any re-districting plan that gives voters who don’t vote for the GOP’s slate of candidates a glimmer of hope that their vote could matter n the new re-drawn districts is bad for the GOP.

The late Paul Weyrich, policy wonk and founder f The Heritage Foundation, The Free Congress Foundation, The Moral Majority and A.L.E.C. said

“I don’t want everybody to vote,” he said. “Elections are not won by a majority of people. They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes”down.”

GRR Spartan wrote:The GOP knows through its own research that increasing voter participation isn’t to their advantage.

Any re-districting plan that gives voters who don’t vote for the GOP’s slate of candidates a glimmer of hope that their vote could matter n the new re-drawn districts is bad for the GOP.

The late Paul Weyrich, policy wonk and founder f The Heritage Foundation, The Free Congress Foundation, The Moral Majority and A.L.E.C. said

“I don’t want everybody to vote,” he said. “Elections are not won by a majority of people. They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes”down.”

Trump has shown that idea to be wrong, as has some political science research. It is how Trump won in 2016, by getting people who typically didn't vote to vote for him.

Although Paul Weyrich absolutely believed that he had no data to back that belief up with.

TrapperGus wrote:

GRR Spartan wrote:The GOP knows through its own research that increasing voter participation isn’t to their advantage.

Any re-districting plan that gives voters who don’t vote for the GOP’s slate of candidates a glimmer of hope that their vote could matter n the new re-drawn districts is bad for the GOP.

The late Paul Weyrich, policy wonk and founder f The Heritage Foundation, The Free Congress Foundation, The Moral Majority and A.L.E.C. said

“I don’t want everybody to vote,” he said. “Elections are not won by a majority of people. They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes”down.”

Trump has shown that idea to be wrong, as has some political science research. It is how Trump won in 2016, by getting people who typically didn't vote to vote for him.

Although Paul Weyrich absolutely believed that he had no data to back that belief up with.

Maybe 2016... not 2020.

This isn't about participation. It's about fairness. Bro in law's uncle ran for state senate from bay city. It was a given, even though the tri cities are generally dem, the election would go to the other guy cause the district went way into the thumb. The thumb isn't bay city.

AvgMSUJoe wrote:

TrapperGus wrote:

Trump has shown that idea to be wrong, as has some political science research. It is how Trump won in 2016, by getting people who typically didn't vote to vote for him.

Although Paul Weyrich absolutely believed that he had no data to back that belief up with.

Maybe 2016... not 2020.

This isn't about participation. It's about fairness. Bro in law's uncle ran for state senate from bay city. It was a given, even though the tri cities are generally dem, the election would go to the other guy cause the district went way into the thumb. The thumb isn't bay city.

Talking about different issues.

Paul Weyrich believed there were more people who would vote for people other than Republicans. Recent research and Trump's election showed that when more people vote the ratio remains about the same. There are as many people who would vote Republican who don't vote as there are people who would vote Democratic.

Gerrymandering districts, as you are describing, is a separate issue.

I was reading a thread on nextdoor.com about redistricting, where the OP was about Troy (MI) supposedly being lumped into Macomb county as part of the redrawn districts. It seems the OP was concerned was that their more liberal views would be underrepresented if they were placed in a district that includes Macomb county and a most or all of the Thumb region, not an entirely unfounded fear.

The funny thing is that 85% or more the comments in that thread were against it because they don't want to change counties. If they wanted to live in Macomb county, they'd move to Macomb county. Some people hoped their taxes would go down if the change was made.

I know, Bob, America is a stupid country.

Baby Steps??

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/republicans-have-edge-michigan-house-drafts-include-plenty-surprises

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-redistricting-commission-relents-creates-majority-black-maps-house

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigans-redistricting-panel-advances-maps-legislature-shake-next

Final proposed maps for US Congress, Michigan House, Michigan Senate.

As noted -

EAST LANSING— The 15 proposed maps put out by Michigan’s redistricting panel could effectively end the Republican power in the state legislature, and grant Democrats a majority not only in the legislature, but also in the congressional delegation.

edit - there is an interactive feature in the article so those in Michigan can locate where in each map they end up.  It was odd that where I end up was on district lines for both Michigan House & Michigan Senate districts, with either my next door neighbors across the road or next door on the same side of the road in different districts, except for one map which "bumps" the district line just beyond my neighbor's house.

LANSING— When the state’s redistricting panel met in secret this year, attorneys for the commission pleaded that the group didn’t need to keep current majority-minority districts or create new ones.

In the Oct. 27 closed-door meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes, the commission’s attorneys said reducing the percentage of Black voters in districts that have been predominantly Black would be in compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

The arguments aired during the private meeting — and contents of the memos — are essentially the same as statements made in public by Adelson and other members of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/heres-what-michigan-redistricting-panel-discussed-secret

So, our local news media made it sound like the commission was hiding something when it wasn't. Typical of lazy reporting.

The commission has decided on the new maps, lawsuits to follow.

However, experts are calling them the fairest maps in the nation.

In other districting news the national redistricting may not be as good for the Republicans as people thought, mainly because in Red States they have already got about as much as they can get.

Personally, I wish every state had an independent commission like Michigan's, districting should reflect the will of all the people.

Republicans sue redistricting commission over congressional map

That was a sure bet from the get go ...

According to the U.S. Constitution, each congressional district must have about the same population. Based on the 2020 Census, that means that each district in Michigan should be as close to 775,179 people as possible per each of the 13 congressional districts.

Last month, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission approved the new state legislative and congressional maps. But the congressional map — nicknamed the Chestnut — has districts with a population deviation larger than allowed, according to the lawsuit.

The largest congressional district, the 13th that includes Detroit, has 487 more people than the target number. Meanwhile, the 5th District, which extends from New Buffalo east to Monroe, is 635 people below the population target.

A difference of 1000 people between the districts which all have about 775,174? What a joke. Maybe they should start by suing other states because the representation differences due to a fixed number of congressional seats between states is much higher than that.

They are going to try to dick it up as much as possible because the losses they will see when it's enacted. Been cheating for decades...

AvgMSUJoe wrote:They are going to try to dick it up as much as possible because the losses they will see when it's enacted. Been cheating for decades...

Absolutely, they are totally wrong on this, but they don't care. They will say the 2022 election is rigged and prepare to steal the election for President in 2024.

Meanwhile there is also a suit from Detroit Legislators who are trying to hold onto their seats.

Michigan's new districts map survived its first challenge, two more to go.

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-supreme-court-dismisses-redistricting-suit-over-black-representation

and another related challenge on the table ...

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-redistricting-panel-sued-again-time-its-own-member