CASE SUMMARY

On December 7, 2021, a coalition of Michigan-based media organizations and a Michigan voter filed a petition with the Michigan Supreme Court challenging several of the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission’s actions as violating the state constitution’s redistricting process transparency provisions. They alleged the Commission improperly held closed-door meetings to discuss matters directly related to its redistricting business and withheld records from those meetings, including memoranda on federal Voting Rights Act compliance and racial voting analyses used to create redistricting plans. They sought a declaratory judgment the Commission’s actions violated the Michigan Constitution and a writ of mandamus requiring the Commission to release all recordings, records, and underlying materials from closed-door meetings, any materials considered when creating plans, and requiring the Commission conduct all future business at public meetings.

  • On December 20, 2021, the Court ruled in favor of the petitioners on a majority of their claims, finding the Commission’s closed-door meeting violated the state constitution’s open meetings requirement and holding the Commission was required to disclose the record of that meeting along with seven specific memoranda used in their creation of redistricting plans.

CASE LIBRARY

Michigan Supreme Court - No. 163823