LWV of Kalamazoo Area

Today a panel of federal district judges ruled in favor of the League of Women Voters of Michigan in their First and Fourteenth Amendment challenges to the state and congressional redistricting plans. 

Federal judges ordered the state of Michigan to draw new legislative districts on Thursday, after finding that a gerrymandered plan enacted by the state’s Republican-dominated legislature in 2011 constituted an “extremely grave” constitutional violation.

The League of Women Voters national president Chris Carson issued the following statement on the passing of Congressman John Dingell.

Was the last re-drawing of Michigan’s political district maps so biased in Republicans’ favor, they were illegal?

That question literally went on trial Tuesday, with a three-judge panel in Detroit’s federal court hearing arguments for and against Michigan’s 2011 redistricting maps.

If this settlement is approved by the court, 11 state house districts will be redrawn to fairly represent voters—that’s one more step toward making sure voters are picking their politicians, and not the other way around.

This past Election day, Michigan voters approved Proposals 2 and 3, creating an independent redistricting commission and expanding access to the polls.