Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission

Over the past month, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission has been redrawing legislative maps for seven state House districts around Metro Detroit.

Analysis shows only three of the new proposed plans for redrawing some Metro Detroit state House districts comply with federal law.

For more than three years, Lansing resident MC Rothhorn served on the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. He stepped down in December among legal challenges to the group's maps.

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission now has three vacancies.

A federal court ruled several Metro Detroit districts in the maps violated the Voting Rights Act because race was predominant in the way they were drawn.

Lawyers for both sides of the lawsuit have until Dec. 4 to submit briefs explaining their views on the legality of the state House and Senate maps drawn by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.

The group responsible for drawing Michigan’s new legislative district lines is facing an ethics question after one of its members took a new job.

The state Senate approved $1.5 million for Michigan’s redistricting commission Wednesday as part of a broader year-end book closing budget package. The commission says it’s already spent around $432,000 since its budget money ran out in October.

The Michigan Senate passed spending bills totaling about $220 million Wednesday to close the books on the last fiscal year. One deals with general government spending. The other deals with education.