Abstract
The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) met for the first time in 2020 after it was created via ballot initiative in 2018. The MICRC included thirteen Michiganders tasked with drawing state house, senate, and congressional districts. The newly amended Michigan Constitution charged the MICRC with incorporating a new criterion previously unknown to Michigan redistricting: communities of interest. Communities of interest (COIs) have played a role in redistricting law across several states, gaining prominence after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Shaw v. Reno as an ostensibly race-neutral “traditional districting principle.” However, the concept is difficult to define. This Note is the first to study the MICRC’s attempt to codify the cultural, historical, and economic interests of communities across Michigan, as defined by Michiganders themselves. Although the MICRC worked tirelessly to review the flood of public comments, it will need to modify its approach for the next redistricting cycle. We propose several substantive and procedural changes to improve the COI review process, including firming up a thematic, “bottom-up” approach, strengthening public outreach efforts, and modernizing the comment database.
Recommended Citation
Edward W. Plaut & Elizabeth Powers,
Crystalizing Community: “Communities of Interest” and the 2020 Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission,
57
U. Mich. J. L. Reform
611
(2024).
Available at:
https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjlr/vol57/iss3/3