Mid-Michiganders advocated for their communities Thursday night to the commission tasked with redrawing the state’s congressional and legislative districts.
The commission made its sixth stop in Lansing in a statewide listening tour to hear opinions from Michigan residents about their districts.
More than 50 people signed up to speak at Thursday’s public meeting of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission in Lansing.
Lansing resident M.C. Rothhorn, a member of the commission, explained that the reason for the public meetings is to ensure they make as effective and respectful of districts as possible.
“We want input at a very specific level," Rothhorn said. "We want input that is, I'll say, as precise as possible, because that will actually allow us to draw the map with precision and honor the voices that we want to hear in Lansing".
Many are asking the commission to consider redrawing the maps in ways where urban and rural communities are not clumped in the same district. that icludes Linda Appling who is a resident of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.
“Eaton County, except for Jackson, does not touch on any of the other counties," Appling said. "No joint project exists between Eaton and the other counties, shopping between Eaton and the other counties is virtually non-existent".
There were some speakers, like Clinton County resident David Crompsey, who opposed redrawing the existing congressional lines.
“And I appeal to you to choose district boundaries to leave Clinton County as intact as possible," Crompsey said.
The commission has until November to redraw the maps but is expected to present its first draft in August.