Federal court approves new Michigan Senate boundaries

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Federal judges have given their final approval to a new map of the boundaries of the Michigan state Legislature, concluding a case in which the court previously ruled that maps of several Detroit-area counties were incorrect. unduly influenced by race.

In December, the court ordered a redistricting commission responsible for redrawing the state’s legislative and congressional maps in 2021 to redraw 13 state districts. In a ruling Friday, the three-judge panel approved a redrawn map of Senate seats, concluding the process.

The court approved this new limits for seven seats in the House of Representatives in Marchwhich had to be completed before the 2024 elections. The new Senate seats will not have any impact until the chamber is eligible for elections in 2026.

The original lawsuit filed by black residents argued that the map diluted their voting rights. Although nearly 80% of Detroit’s residents are black, the panel said the population of black voting residents in the old districts was significantly lower, ranging from 35% to 45% with one as low as 19%.

Democrats currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers, after flipping them in 2022. The party’s success was attributed in part to legislative maps redrawn in 2021 by the state’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.

According to the five-page opinion, residents have no objection to the new map. The justices said the Senate’s final map was drawn “racially blind.”

“The Secretary of State can proceed with the implementation of the Senate Committee’s recovery plan for the next election cycle,” the advice said.