Detroit Evening Report: New redistricting commissioners being selected after resignations

The Michigan Department of State will soon replace three commissioners who recently resigned from the 13-member Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC).

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As required by Michigan’s state constitution, the replacements will be selected randomly via livestream at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, from the remaining pool of semi-finalist applicants who affiliate with the same party as the departing commissioners.

Commissioners MC Rothhorn, Douglas Clark and Dustin Witjes all resigned in December. No formal action is required from the commission to accept the resignations.

Of the 200 semi-finalists randomly selected in June 2020, there are 52 remaining who affiliate with the Democratic Party and 54 who affiliate with the Republican Party.  The commission is composed of four Republicans, four Democrats, and five people who do not affiliate with either party. Rothhorn and Witjes are both affiliated with the Democratic Party, while Clark is a member of the Republican Party. The random selection on Jan. 3 will fill all three vacant seats on the commission. 

The changes come after a federal court ruled that more than a dozen Michigan state House and Senate districts drawn by the MICRC violate the U.S. Constitution, requiring the body to redraw the Detroit area districts before elections can be held in them.

The Jan. 3 event will be livestreamed on the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission’s social media accounts.

Other headlines for Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024:

• The late Amp Fiddler will be remembered with a memorial service on Feb. 3 at Fellowship Chapel, 7707 Outer Dr. W, Detroit.
• Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud recently announced a nursing education partnership between Henry Ford College and Corewell Health.
• The City of Detroit is hosting its first “Hotel Water Square” Community Benefits Meetings at 6 p.m. Jan. 9 and Jan. 16, for residents affected by a new 600-room hotel development at the former Joe Louis Arena site downtown.
• Eighteen tree-related projects around the state will share nearly $400,000 in federal grants administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
• The Detroit Red Wings are out west in California against the San Jose Sharks tonight.
• The Detroit Lions look to bounce back after a gutwrenching loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Lions face the Minnesota Vikings at home this Sunday for their final regular season game.
• The Detroit Pistons snapped their 28 game losing streak last week but quickly dropped a game to the Houston Rockets 113-136.

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