The Michigan Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to the state’s newly drawn political districts brought by a group of current and former Detroit-area lawmakers. In a 4-3 ruling on Thursday, the court found the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission’s maps did not violate federal law or the Constitution.
The plaintiffs argued the commission’s new maps violated the federal Voting Rights Act by eliminating congressional districts in which Black voters make up a majority of constituents. That illegally diluted the power of Black voters, they said.
The suit asked the Supreme Court to send the maps back to the redistricting commission for revision.
The three dissenting justices said the dismissal of the case was “premature.”
They said the court should have heard more evidence before making a ruling.
“Procedure matters. People care about how their cases are handled and whether they had a fair opportunity to be heard,” their dissent said.
Two other lawsuits are still pending against the commission’s maps. One is from a group of Republican lawmakers arguing that the maps split up communities and failed to allocate populations evenly between districts, and the other is from a group of progressive organizations arguing that the maps unfairly favor Republican candidates.
