Redistricting commission selects redrawn Michigan House map with changes to 15 districts

Michigan's Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission voted Wednesday to adopt a newly redrawn state House map that will be submitted to federal judges for potential adoption by the court.

The selected map — dubbed Motown Sound E1 — makes adjustments in House Districts 1-14 and a minor change to District 16, more than double the number of districts ruled unconstitutional and ordered redrawn by a panel of federal judges. In December, the judges ruled the original maps were drawn with race as the predominating factor in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The number of districts redrawn expanded as changes to the challenged House districts rippled into surrounding regions. A full data analysis of the new districts is posted on the redistricting commission's website.

The commission adopted the map Wednesday on a 10-3 vote after two rounds of voting. It was viewed favorably by Detroiters who offered public comment on the plan, commissioners said Wednesday in defending their decision.

"It is the map that has the most interactions in terms of public feedback, and it has overwhelmingly positive public feedback," said Commissioner Brittni Kellom, a Detroit Democrat.

Commissioner Rebecca Szetela, an unaffiliated member of the commission, said she liked the Motown Sound map but would have preferred a map that made additional changes to three adjacent districts to the west of the altered districts.

"I wish we could have agreed to make those changes to (districts) 16, 17, and 18 because I would have considered voting for it if those changes had been made," Szetela said, noting she felt the three districts also were unconstitutional.

The map selected by the commission Wednesday will be submitted to a federal three-judge panel to meet a court-ordered redraw of seven House districts that is due to the court by March 1.

The commission will address a court-ordered redraw of six separate overturned Senate districts at a later time since the Senate isn't under the same pressures of a looming November election for House seats. Senate seats with four-year terms aren't on the ballot again until 2026.

In addition to the commission's selected map, judges received on Feb. 2 a redrawn House map from a court-appointed special master. The special master's map will be considered by the judges if the redistricting commission's submission does not pass constitutional muster.

A second special master is expected to submit to judges his analysis of the commission's map, including his review of the constitutionality of the new districts.

The commission has estimated the special masters' work will cost roughly $320,000.

The redraw follows a December order from a federal panel, comprised of two district judges and one appellate judge, who ruled 13 state House and Senate seats in Detroit violated the Equal Protection Clause because they were drawn with race as the predominating factor. Judges Raymond Kethledge, Paul Maloney and Janet Neff ordered the 13 districts be redrawn and prohibited the districts from being used in future elections.

The maps had been challenged by several Black Detroiters who argued the districts violated the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting populations and making it more difficult for a Black-preferred candidate to be elected.

The redistricting commission is under an extremely tight timeline to have the maps prepared and the qualified voter file updated in time for use in the August state House primary elections.

Early this month, the commission finished drawing several different maps that it presented for public comment in Detroit. That public comment and further Voting Rights Act analysis guided the commission's choice of a final map.

After the selection of the map Wednesday, an objection period and evaluation by the courts will commence. The three-judge panel plans to make a final approval of either the commission's or special master's map no later than March 29.

eleblanc@detroitnews.com