Federal judges order 13 Michigan House and Senate districts redrawn

[Airforceguy]

Federal judges have ordered 13 of Michigan's House and Senate seats redrawn and ordered the Secretary of State to refrain from holding elections in those districts until they are redrawn in compliance with the Equal Rights Act of the U.S. Constitution.The significant court ruling Thursday from a three-judge panel could have broad implications for the 2024 election, potentially forcing neighboring districts to be reshaped, and could influence which party controls the Michigan Legislature.
Michigan's Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and the Detroit Democrats who challenged the maps have until Jan. 2 to submit briefs addressing how legislative district boundaries should be redrawn.
In the past, the plaintiffs have argued the courts could either accept their proposed maps, could order the maps redrawn by a special master or could order the maps redrawn by Michigan's Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. It's not clear which remedy the courts will order. In their decision Thursday, federal judges Raymond Kethledge, Paul Maloney and Janet Neff said the commission's experts relied on incomplete primary data to set Black voting age percentages that would gaurantee a Black-preferred candidate could make it through the primary. That information was critical to in the Detroit area, where elections are largely decided in the primary. "Yet these experts told the commissioners again and again− based on general election data alone − that black-preferred candidates would 'perform well' in these districts," the opinion said. "That was a grave disservice to everyone involved with this case, above all the voters themselves."Plaintiffs have argued that the experts guiding the commission consistently pressured its members to lower the number of Black voters in Metro Detroit House and Senate districts out of an effort to "unpack" past districts and achieve better partisan fairness scores across the state

[Jimaz]

Federal judges order 13 Michigan House and Senate districts redrawn

[JBMcB]

I don't understand the process here.

1. Districts are unfairly gerrymandered
2. Ballot proposal is put in place to move district planning to an independent group
3. Ballot proposal wins
4. Independent group redraws districts
5. People whom backed the independent group then sue over the new districts

How independent is the new independent group if representatives can sue if they don't like the outcome?

[K-slice]

Who would have thought in the space age of 2023 we would still be considering skin pigmentation in drawing voting districts... It's pathetic.

The "black preferred candidate" phrase that's peppered all over this article is absurd on it's face. As if all "blacks" prefer the same person, as if they can't think for themselves and just vote as one giant group.

Race should be taken out of all considerations when it comes to voting districts, period.

[1953]

Who would have thought in the space age of 2023 we would still be considering skin pigmentation in drawing voting districts... It's pathetic.

The "black preferred candidate" phrase that's peppered all over this article is absurd on it's face. As if all "blacks" prefer the same person, as if they can't think for themselves and just vote as one giant group.

Race should be taken out of all considerations when it comes to voting districts, period.

I completely agree. How absurd that we are legally judging people's intent on their skin color.

[Richard]

Blame it on LBJ he did set the time line at 200 years and somebody else did say if you do not vote democratic you ain’t black,so it is a party that favors keeping people in their place historically.

I agree though,how can you dilute the black vote without assuming that all blacks are the same party ,thats racist on it own and depriving the blacks that choose not to vote for the D party of their voting rights.

[Danny]

Finally Detroit will get a representative district back. This will end the Republican segregated debauchery.

Michigan is not Mississippi.

[Richard]

Finally Detroit will get a representative district back. This will end the Republican segregated debauchery.

Michigan is not Mississippi.

Actually if you look at Detroit specifically and the southern black belt that runs through Mississippi,they are the same with a lot of the same attitudes and all as a majority are over 80% African Americans that vote democrat and as a majority are living in poverty.

It is the way the party is run because back in the segregation days there were very successful African American communities even today if you took the African Americans that have spread out in society and move them into one city it would also be highly successful.

So it is not a matter of racist policies,because there blacks that prove they have overcome that every day successfully.

So why is it repeated across the country that democratic citys that are a majority blacks are in bad way as a majority.

The old excuse that it is because of white flight that defunded the cities is the problem when it is not,because that is saying that blacks are not capable of being highly successful which the opposite has been proven true.

It does not matter who wears the suit,it’s the policies they implement.

It was not a Republican that said,we are going to help African Americans in poverty with housing,but you cannot have a man in the house which helped destroy the African American family support structure for generations.

It was not a republican that said let’s throw freeways through successful African American neighborhoods.

That’s just a couple of examples that had serious generational detrimental impacts.

There should be a point in time where the ones saying ,vote for me and I will take care of you,that have proven to be doing the exact opposite,are sent down the road.

But we are there are we not when blacks with wealth are also moving away from majority back cities also bringing their wealth with them?

Blame it on the republicans,when the republicans as a rule are not a driving force in a majority black city.

So why the opposition to having any republican influence in a majority black city ?

Maybe it actually has nothing to do with Republican as a word and more about keeping people depressed so you can te them you are there for them vote for me.

It does not matter who one votes for and the country is and needs the two party system in order to keep each other in check but sooner or later one has to realize that the policies they support are the very thing that is keeping them down.

It has nothing to do with racism because the blacks as individuals that realize that have moved on because they also realized that was the only way to break the cycle.

The two party system creates a balance in society by design,what happens when that balance is upset and who is effected the most?

It’s pretty clear is it not ?

People fought and died for their voting rights,they did not say,I want the right to vote democrat,they said I want the right to vote period,because they wanted to have a voice,so why would one be so adamant about denying somebody their right to vote because you have decided this is a democrat city and if you do not vote democrat leave,that’s not how it’s supposed to work.

You can replace the word democrat with anything you like as long as it is not with socialist or commy,but you are not supposed to be telling people that we do not want those living around us to have the freedom to vote for who they choose,without having to move.

You are not supposed to choose who people vote for,you are supposed to provide an equal foundation,so they can choose who to vote for as they have that right and earned it.

[Jimaz]

Judges say Metro Detroit districts must be redrawn

[Danny]

Actually if you look at Detroit specifically and the southern black belt that runs through Mississippi,they are the same with a lot of the same attitudes and all as a majority are over 80% African Americans that vote democrat and as a majority are living in poverty.

It is the way the party is run because back in the segregation days there were very successful African American communities even today if you took the African Americans that have spread out in society and move them into one city it would also be highly successful.

So it is not a matter of racist policies,because there blacks that prove they have overcome that every day successfully.

So why is it repeated across the country that democratic citys that are a majority blacks are in bad way as a majority.

The old excuse that it is because of white flight that defunded the cities is the problem when it is not,because that is saying that blacks are not capable of being highly successful which the opposite has been proven true.

It does not matter who wears the suit,it’s the policies they implement.

It was not a Republican that said,we are going to help African Americans in poverty with housing,but you cannot have a man in the house which helped destroy the African American family support structure for generations.

It was not a republican that said let’s throw freeways through successful African American neighborhoods.

That’s just a couple of examples that had serious generational detrimental impacts.

There should be a point in time where the ones saying ,vote for me and I will take care of you,that have proven to be doing the exact opposite,are sent down the road.

But we are there are we not when blacks with wealth are also moving away from majority back cities also bringing their wealth with them?

Blame it on the republicans,when the republicans as a rule are not a driving force in a majority black city.

So why the opposition to having any republican influence in a majority black city ?

Maybe it actually has nothing to do with Republican as a word and more about keeping people depressed so you can te them you are there for them vote for me.

It does not matter who one votes for and the country is and needs the two party system in order to keep each other in check but sooner or later one has to realize that the policies they support are the very thing that is keeping them down.

It has nothing to do with racism because the blacks as individuals that realize that have moved on because they also realized that was the only way to break the cycle.

The two party system creates a balance in society by design,what happens when that balance is upset and who is effected the most?

It’s pretty clear is it not ?

People fought and died for their voting rights,they did not say,I want the right to vote democrat,they said I want the right to vote period,because they wanted to have a voice,so why would one be so adamant about denying somebody their right to vote because you have decided this is a democrat city and if you do not vote democrat leave,that’s not how it’s supposed to work.

You can replace the word democrat with anything you like as long as it is not with socialist or commy,but you are not supposed to be telling people that we do not want those living around us to have the freedom to vote for who they choose,without having to move.

You are not supposed to choose who people vote for,you are supposed to provide an equal foundation,so they can choose who to vote for as they have that right and earned it.

Sometimes race and money had something to do in politics. Grab a race, grab their monies, grab victory! Political campaigns can be a popularity contest.