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The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission has unveiled preliminary maps for all state and federal legislative districts. Now you have a chance to offer input, or even draw your own boundaries. You can do so here.
The panel has gotten push back over its plans for western UP districts. Current intentions are to shed Baraga County and add the western half of Dickinson County, including Iron Mountain and Kingsford, to the 110th, currently represented by Greg Markkanen. Baraga would join Marquette in the 109th and the 108th would extend from the eastern portion of Dickinson to Chippewa County.
Commission member Doug Clark says the idea has been received sourly, particularly because of the composition of the group.
When speaking on his candidacy for Secretary of State, Beau LaFave, who currently represents the 108th District, said he thought the new boundaries would worsen the relationship between citizens and their elected officials.
Public comments made on the Commission page recently are not in favor of the new lines. Ottawa County residents, near Grand Rapids, have expressed similar concerns about having the jurisdiction split between multiple districts. Detroit groups warn that efforts to make elections more competitive in metro Detroit could violate federal law by erasing minority-majority districts currently in place.
