Some Metro Detroit Democrats want the Michigan Supreme Court to reconsider its decision to dismiss a lawsuit challenging new legislative districts.
The Detroit lawmakers sued the state’s independent redistricting commission, saying it was disenfranchising black voters and violating the Voting Rights Act by cutting previously majority-minority districts.
But in a four-to-three decision, the state’s High Court dismissed the suit on grounds that experts believed white cross-over voters could still elect black candidates in the new districts.
Now the Detroit legislators want the court to reconsider the matter, charging that the “hasty dismissal” happened because judges were mis-led into thinking the lawmakers could not substantiate their claims.
The Detroit caucus members say in a court filing they’ve added experts to back-up their argument that the new maps would disenfranchise blacks.
The state Supreme Court, however, almost never re-considers a ruling.