Issue One applauds federal court ruling that upholds voter-approved independent redistricting commission in Michigan

Issue One Founder and CEO Nick Penniman applauded today’s federal appeals court ruling that upheld the constitutionality of the independent redistricting commission overwhelmingly approved by 61% of Michigan voters in 2018, 

“This federal court decision is a victory for the people of Michigan who worked tirelessly to ensure that politicians cannot pick their voters,” said Issue One Founder and CEO Nick Penniman. “This federal court ruling should give everyone who is fed up with the broken political system hope that we can enact reforms that are both meaningful and constitutional.”

More background on the case:

Today’s decision was made by a unanimous three-judge panel on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 

It upheld the creation of a new 13-member redistricting body in Michigan whose participants will be selected at random and which will be composed of four Democrats, four Republicans, and five people “who self-identify as unaffiliated with major political parties.” 

Partisan officeholders, candidates, certain relatives of candidates and officeholders, and lobbyists are prohibited from serving on the new redistricting commission.

The Michigan measure’s main proponent was a grassroots organization called Voters Not Politicians, which grew out of a Facebook post by Katie Fahey, a concerned citizen who became a champion of reform. Fahey now serves on Issue One’s board of directors.

Earlier this year, Issue One joined a group of political reform organizations in filing an amicus brief with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of Michigan’s voter-approved redistricting commission.