Public radio from Western Michigan University 102.1 NPR News | 89.9 Classical WMUK
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Supreme Court Decision Means Michigan Districts Won't Change For 2020

J. Scott Applewhite
/
AP Photo

Michigan’s political district lines will stay as they are for the 20-20 election. A federal court had previously said that the state Legislature needed to redraw dozens of those lines by August. That was because it found that Republicans had unfairly drawn the lines to favor their party. But in a US Supreme Court decision released today, the majority opinion said that these types of gerrymandering issues are political questions - and that’s beyond the scope of what federal courts can decide.

That effectively ends a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s political district lines, whose appeal is pending before the Supreme Court.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a party to Michigan’s lawsuit, says the Supreme Court is closing the door on this case. “Which is a striking conclusion to draw based on the history of the court in protecting citizens voices in our democracy,” she said.

Attorney Charlie Spies disagrees. He represented Michigan Republicans in a lawsuit over the issue.

“It’s good news for representative democracy because it makes clear that districting decisions belong with the democratic process and not in the courthouse,” he said.