The Headlines
I want to start this week’s update with a reminder that independent redistricting is still the best way forward for Michigan voters and those in other states! I was recently quoted alongside experts from Common Cause and the Brennan Center in an article from Democracy Docket that shows experts agree that a “politician-free” redistricting process results in better outcomes for voters.
This week, Voters Not Politicians has continued to raise the alarm about the lack of partisan fairness in several of the MICRC’s proposed senate maps, including my comments directly to the commission at one of their public hearings in Detroit.
And Voters Ed Fund is continuing to build knowledge and power among grassroots activists through Democracy Academy, which this month will introduce the highly anticipated topic of participatory budgeting.
The Details
Redistricting
- This week, the commission held three in-person public hearings in Detroit regarding the draft proposed Senate maps. Much of the testimony heard at the public hearings was in support of Heron, Szetela, or Kellom, the three maps that perform best on partisan fairness.
- I gave public testimony on Tuesday about the importance of looking at close elections to better understand the partisan fairness scores between the different maps. I also urged the commission to review the memo I submitted to them providing a detailed analysis of the partisan fairness of each map in close elections, and reminded the commission that once concerns from the court have been addressed, the Voting Rights Act has been taken into account, and communities of interest have been considered, it is their responsibility to adopt the map with the most partisan fairness.
- During Wednesday’s public hearing, the commission’s partisan fairness expert Dr. Lisa Handley explained our memo’s partisan fairness analysis of four close Michigan elections versus the commission’s composite analysis of 16 elections. She ultimately told the commission that they were free to use either analysis in evaluating the maps.
- Although yesterday was the last day for public hearings, the public comment period does not end until June 21st. We are still encouraging residents to use the online portal to submit negative feedback (red pins) on the maps that scored poorly on VRA analysis, including maps from individual commissioners Lange, Wagner, and Curry; and the maps that are worse in partisan fairness than Linden, including Dove, Cardinal, Orton, and Finch. Voters Not Politicians has developed a guide on how to access and use the online portal.
- Yesterday, VNP hosted a workshop on how to provide public comments on the online mapping portal. You can view the recording here. (Passcode: 9f^bGY4K)
Democracy Academy
- Last month, Democracy Academy held its third virtual workshop on Citizen Lobbying Your Local Government. Hosted by Education Programs Manager Alyson Grigsby, this workshop destigmatized lobbying at the grassroots level and encouraged attendees to utilize grassroots citizen lobbying as a form of community advocacy.
- Next Tuesday, we will be hosting our fourth workshop, the highly anticipated Participatory Budgeting: Taking Part in Your Local Government’s Spending. This workshop will be facilitated by Wayne State University adjunct professor Janet Anderson, who also developed the curriculum.
- Future Democracy Academy workshops include Monitoring Your Local Elections (July 24th) and Starting a Local or Statewide Ballot Initiative (August 22nd).
What’s Next
We still have one week of official public comment to drive more Metro Detroiters to make their voices heard on the proposed maps. Voters Not Politicians will continue our digital ad campaign to reach Metro Detroiters and encourage them to give online feedback on the draft maps. As a reminder, the comment portal is open to all Michigan residents, but comments are especially appreciated from those who live in affected senate districts (1-12).
Following the close of the official public comment period, the commission will take a few more days to deliberate, make any tweaks to maps, and finally, vote on a map to send to the federal court for final approval and adoption. Here is what the rest of that timeline looks like:
- June 21: Public comment period closes
- June 24, 25, 26: Final deliberations by the MICRC
- July 12: The Reviewing Special Master submits his report of the Commission’s work.
- July 19: The parties may each file briefs commenting on the Reviewing Special Master’s report
- July 26: The court will adopt a remedial Senate districting plan
Want to receive these updates in your inbox? Use this link to join our weekly update list.
