A three-judge panel dismissed a claim Friday by Michigan Republicans who alleged that the new congressional district map drawn by the state’s redistricting commission arbitrarily divided counties and municipalities.

The Republicans who sued the commissioners argued that counties and municipalities constitute “communities of interest” —  such as “populations that share cultural or historical characteristics or economic interests” — that the Michigan Constitution requires the commission to reflect in the new district lines.

They asserted that the new map would dilute the voting strength of those divided into separate voting districts.

The unanimous six-page opinion written by U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit Judge Raymond Kethledge called the claim “a blood relative” of claims of partisan gerrymandering courts are not capable of deciding under prior U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

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Voters Not Politicians, the group that drafted the constitutional amendment laying out Michigan’s redistricting criteria and intervened in the lawsuit, similarly argued that those challenging the congressional map were attempting to redefine communities of interest.

The three-judge panel agreed. 

This article was originally published by the Detroit Free Press. Continue reading here: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/03/04/redistricting-commission-federal-lawsuit-one-count-dismissed/9346956002/

The group behind the constitutional amendment that created Michigan’s citizen-led, independent redistricting process took steps Monday to defend the commission’s work in court against a lawsuit brought by Republicans challenging the new congressional map. 

Voters Not Politicians filed a motion to intervene as a defendant in the lawsuit against the commissioners who drew the map.

The lawsuit, filed by a group of Michigan Republicans in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, alleges that there is no legal justification for the population differences between the congressional districts drawn by the commission and that the new lines unnecessarily split up counties and municipalities.

A three-judge panel was recently appointed in the case. 

“We seek to intervene to ensure that the voice of Michigan’s voters are clearly heard in this case,” said Nancy Wang, executive director of Voters Not Politicians. 

“Independent redistricting commissions, like the one passed by Michigan voters in 2018, are designed to ensure that our political system remains by, of and for the people,” said Paul Smith, senior vice president at Campaign Legal Center, which is providing legal representation to Voters Not Politicians. “The court should reject this effort to prevent the commission from accomplishing the purpose for which it was overwhelmingly approved by the voters.” 

This article was originally published by the Detroit Free Press. Continue reading here: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/02/07/michigan-redistricting-maps/6698405001/