Based on the 2020 census, it was determined that the state of Michigan would redraw its #congressional and #legislative districts. With the Republicans gaining a trifecta in Michigan, seizing control of the legislature and governorship, their majority won in the state Supreme Court.

Michigan set up for a gerrymander: the manipulation of boundaries of (an electoral constituency) to favor one party or class. The Republican legislators started dividing the Michigan districts to create as many red districts as possible. This involved packing most of the state’s minority population, which traditionally leans Democratic, into a few deep blue districts, then distributing other Democratic supporters through what they considered safe GOP districts.

The resulting map gave the Republicans a minimum of 7 seats out of 14 congressional seats, even in circumstances where the Democrats had a majority win in the statewide vote. 

A federal court invalidated the map, citing it as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. In a surprising turn of events, the Supreme Court later reversed the decision, ruling that the federal judiciary could not influence political redistricting.

As a result, Michigan voters passed an impressive constitutional amendment that established an independent redistricting commission. The commission has redrawn districts that elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Michigan Legislature. The 13 commission members were bipartisan and did not favor either the Democrats or the Republicans to ensure that decisions were made fairly and without bias.

Fast-tracking the redistricting plans may be an excellent plan to end gerrymandering quickly. However, there are many complications with the process. Michigan’s constitution states that the election districts must be drawn in compliance with federal law. 

The question for debate is, Should Michigan’s legislative districts be determined by the state legislature or an independent citizen commission?