Redistricting Commission To Meet In Kalamazoo and Jackson

The state commission charged with drawing up new boundaries for congressional and state legislative districts will be taking public comments during a series of community sessions. None are in Battle Creek, but the redistricting commission will hold public needings close by in Jackson, Kalamazoo, and Lansing.

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Members of the citizen's commission will outline their work and then take comments from anyone interested in their work. Maybe the redistricting commission's greatest challenge will be adjusting the state’s congressional districts if the state officially loses one seat in the U.S. House as projected by the census.

The commission was approved by a statewide referendum in 2018. The main idea was to remove the important work of setting district boundaries from politicians and put the process into the hands of Michigan residents. People representing both major parties and independents have been selected to serve on the commission.

The commission is already facing hardships. The delayed release of US census data means the commission can’t complete its work by the original deadline. It is asking the State Supreme Court to issue a ruling giving it more time to set the new congressional and legislative boundaries.

Congressional candidates however are complaining that delay means less time for them to be able to prepare for campaigns since no one knows where the new boundaries will be set. And the loss of one congressional district means notable changes in districts throughout the state. It could lead to a mad scramble leading up to scheduled election primaries next year.