Federal judges gave final approval to a new map of Michigan state Legislature boundaries, concluding a case in which the court previously found that several Detroit-area districts’ maps were illegally influenced by race .
In December, the court ordered a redistricting commission responsible for redrawing the state’s legislative and congressional maps in 2021 to redraw 13 state districts. In a Friday opinion, the panel of three judges approved a redrawn map of the Senate seats bringing the proceedings to a close.
The court approved new boundaries for seven state House seats in March , which had to be finalized before the 2024 election. The new Senate seats will not bear weight until the chamber is up for election in 2026.
The original lawsuit filed by Black residents argued that the map diluted their voting power. Although nearly 80% of Detroit residents are Black, the panel said the population of Black voting-age residents in the old districts was significantly lower, ranging from 35% to 45% with one as low as 19%.