DETROIT – The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is hosting public meetings in Detroit this week on redrawing state house districts in the city.
Last month, a 3-judge federal panel ruled 13 state house and senate district maps diluted the Black vote.
Background: Judge orders voting maps to be redrawn in Metro Detroit
“We got to this point because we had a dispute at the court, which we lost. But we are appealing to the United States Supreme Court,” MICRC Executive Director Edward Woods III said before their appeal was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. Monday.
The commission is seeking input from the public as they redraw the maps.
There wasn’t much of a crowd Monday morning at the commission’s meeting at Huntington Place.
“Empty seats mean nothing because you can also do something remotely, you can write, email. You can do snail mail. You can do our portal. So, it’s different ways of communicating,” Woods shared on how the community can get involved with the process. “So this is not indicative of the interest of citizens of Michigan have as it relates to this new process.”
Attendee Sheila Gunn puts the blame on the commission for the turnout.
“If you look at that room it looks like people don’t care,” Local 4 anchor/reporter Will Jones asked one attendee.
“Exactly, but they do. But they were not informed,” Sheila Gunn responded.
The commission’s deadline to submit a new map of the house districts is March 1.
Attendee Michael Howard said getting community input is critical.
“Some of it is people don’t understand the importance of it. I am a father of three kids. I am a business owner. So when these elected officials go to Lansing, they make decisions that affect whether my kids eat at school,” he said.
Below are the remaining meeting dates and times:
- Monday, January 22 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Huntington Place
- Tuesday, January 23 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 6 p.m-8:30 p.m. at Huntington Place
- Wednesday, January 24 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at Cadillac Place
- Thursday, January 25 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at Cadillac Place
- Friday, January 26 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at Cadillac Place