It may be premature to panic about the state legislative and Congressional district maps that the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is drawing, but in my book it’s better to get agitated — and act — before the ink is dry. Yesterday’s analysis of the current set of maps published in Bridge Michigan does nothing to diminish my concern. The headline of the story by Mike Wilkinson and Sergio Martínez-Beltrán: “Republicans hold on Lansing power could grow with new redistricting maps.” Their analysis of the state House district maps as they currently stand projects that
The House districts, now split 58-52 in favor of the GOP, would still have at least 58 seats leaning or solidly Republican, using 2020 presidential or 2018 U.S. Senate results. When the 2016 presidential results are applied, that margin grows to 66-44 in favor of the GOP.
If you’re motivated to speak up about these maps, you’re in the right place to learn more.
The most recent schedule and sign-up links for attending and speaking at the upcoming Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) meetings have been published. I’m planning to observe the session remotely tomorrow morning and have signed up to speak for two minutes via Zoom during the afternoon session opening at 1:00 PM.
Note that they have also added a meeting this Friday: they’re now planning to convene at the Troy Marriott from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Friday meeting is supposed to signal the start of the MICRC’s consideration of partisan fairness (or the lack thereof) so your contributions are timely and welcome.
Below I’ll supply the relevant links and documents from the MICRC so that you can sign up to participate yourself. I’ll also offer some general talking points to consider as well as some specific ones I plan to raise.
(A long process since this portal offers a number of lists maintained by the State of Michigan.)
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Viewing the MICRC’s Draft Maps
Check out what the MICRC has shared to date before you prepare your comment.
The portal for viewing the maps released to date by the Commission can be reached via the Mapping Process > Proposed Draft Maps > MyDistricting|Michigan tab, or via this direct link. So far, they’ve released draft maps for the State House, State Senate, and Congressional Districts, though they are all very much works in progress.
To view these maps:
- Select the tab you want from State Senate, State House, or Congressional plans
- Click “Open” in the Comment Link column to place a comment on that plan
- OR click “Download” to download a copy of the map’s shapefile.
The blog maintained by Voters Not Politicians helps explain what is new with the MICRC.
Signing up for a speaking slot
One menu tab at the top of the MICRC website links to “Meeting Notices & Materials.” This is a CRUCIAL page because it provides the most current meeting information which changes often.
September 30 DAYTIME (10AM-4PM) meeting notice (at Oakland University, Rochester Hills)
Public comment period starts at 1:00 PM! The SIGN UP PORTAL (linked below) closes at 8:00 AM on the day of the meeting.
September 30 EVENING (5PM-8PM) meeting notice (at Oakland University, Rochester Hills)
Public comment period starts at 5:00 PM. The SIGN UP PORTAL (linked below) closes at 8:00 AM on the day of the meeting.
October 1 DAYTIME (9AM-5PM) meeting notice (at Troy Marriott)
Start of the public comment period MAY be at 9:00 AM but it could change. Regardless, the SIGN UP PORTAL (linked below) closes at 7:00 AM on the day of the meeting.
YouTube video of the Ford School presentation:
Preparing your public comment—some suggestions
Handy guide to making public comments (prepared by the Ann Arbor Dems)
- Share your name and where you live.
- Thank the commission for their work.
- Share your public comment about partisan fairness, a community of interest, the MICRC’s process or any other concern.
- Rehearse what you plan to say as part of your two-minute testimony. If you can talk without reading, even better.
- You will have two uninterrupted minutes before the commission. You do not have to use all the time provided, but if you do a little alarm will go off at 2 minutes and you will be able to finish your thought.
- Any additional identifying information you provide to the commission is at your discretion. You do not need to identify as a member of any particular party or organization.
Possible topics to cover (revised to reflect more general principles)
- The overall intent of Proposal 2 in the first place was to create balanced districts where voters have a fair chance to elect representatives of their choice
- The ranked criteria should be considered holistically, because the priorities they declare are interrelated
- Keeping cities, counties, and even so-called Communities of Interest together—which are complicated to define, and not necessarily obvious—is not always going to be the best way to produce a fair set of maps
- Contiguity matters but compactness may not be as important
My talking points (revised now to provide the statement as delivered, minus personal information)
First, a genuinely fair set of maps, avoiding disproportionate partisan advantage, results in legislative and Congressional seats being won in a proportion very close to the overall turnout of Michigan’s electorate, showing only a modest degree of variation based on geographical area. With fair maps, many elections would be legitimate contests, not foregone conclusions, since creating unbalanced districts subverts the whole intent of Proposal 2. Unfortunately, as we see already, such balance is difficult to achieve given current geographical segregation emerging from historical roots.
Second, the Commission will succeed by considering all of the ranked mapping criteria in a holistic way, reflecting their interconnectedness. In support of fairness, I urge you to take special care not to over-concentrate some Communities of Interest in the smallest possible number of districts. I join those who oppose creating one sole Congressional district for the city of Detroit, for example, since restricting the majority Black population in that way reduces the community's potential for impact in other, adjoining districts. Similarly, other regions of the state--including my own City and County—may be better served by not over-concentrating other Communities of Interest. It is, of course, a matter of balance as well as equity, not a one-size-fits-all process, but a complex task requiring careful, ongoing attention.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
I will keep these redistricting updates coming, especially before and during the second round of hearings planned to begin in mid-October. When they start, the MICRC will have posted what they consider to be pretty solid maps, which means these boundaries are taking firmer shape without being completely fixed. I look forward to hearing about your experiences in contributing to the Michigan Redistricting process, either from your comments here or by posts of your own.