Constitutional Amendment Cleared for Signatures

Liz Gullett

Aug 18, 2017

On Thursday, the Board of State Canvassers gave their approval as to the form of a petition seeking to amend the state constitution and create an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Federal law requires states to redraw district maps every ten years after the latest census occurs. Currently in Michigan, the task of redrawing the districts is left to the legislature and the governor. Following the 2012 redistricting, many residents expressed concern that the process is handled in a partisan manner, especially since there was a one-party control over the redistricting process that year.

A group, Voters Not Politicians, formed and decided to start an initiative to amend the Michigan constitution to remove, as they say, the political nature of the current process that can lead to gerrymandering. The groups proposal would set in place a thirteen-member board, comprised of four Democrats, four Republicans, and five Independents. Members would be selected at random by the Secretary of State from a pool of registered voters. The board would conduct all meetings in public hearings and all proposals would be available to the public. Lastly, for approval of a map, a minimum of two Democratic, Republican, and Independent members must agree.

“In order for the proposal to be placed before Michigan voters in November 2018, the group will need to collect 315,654 valid signatures within a 180-day window. This is no easy task, but it is an achievable endeavor for a well-organized group,” explained Brendan Ringlever of MLC.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.