LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The now fully staffed Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission voted in favor of appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court a lower court’s decision that would require the group to redraw boundaries for 13 districts.
Why is the commission appealing?
In an 8-1 vote, the commission will seek an appeal to override a court decision delivered ahead of the New Year which determined the commission’s redrawn maps violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
MORE NEWS: Will Kamala’s Hustle for Michigan’s Black Vote Be Enough to Close the Deal?
“We enjoin the Secretary of State from holding further elections in these districts as they are currently drawn,” the opinion said. “And we will direct that the parties appear before this court in early January to discuss how to proceed with redrawing them.”
What’s happened at recent commission meetings?
Last Thursday, the commission failed to reach a quorum to vote on several calendar items including whether or not to appeal the federal court ruling.
On Wednesday, the commission added three new commissioners to its ranks after they were randomly drawn from a pool of vetted candidates. Elaine Andrade, Donna Callaghan, and Marcus Muldoon were selected to fill the loss of a Republican and two Democrat candidates.
How did the new commissioners vote?
In the vote, Callaghan and Muldoon voted in favor of the appeal while Andrade abstained from the vote.
Andrade shared in her 2020 application that she was interested in applying for the commission with the “hopes of preserving our democratic way of life.”
“The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is our opportunity to get back to the constitutional ideals of democratic representation of the citizens of Michigan,” she added.
MORE NEWS: Detroit Settles with Police and Fire Pension Board on 30-Year Plan for Deferred Payments
During yesterday’s meeting, Commissioner Juanita Curry motioned for a pay raise for the commissioners. They already make close to $40,000, and will likely be spending more time redrawing the maps in coming weeks. The group tabled the motion until the next meeting on Jan. 11.
Leave a Comment
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.