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Redistricting law passed

August 9, 2011

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, still has East Lansing in his congressional territory under new, redistricted boundaries signed by Gov. Rick Snyder Tuesday.

Michigan’s eighth congressional district will continue to include Ingham County in its entirety, which includes Greater Lansing, but Rogers will lose territory to the north in Clinton and Shiawassee counties in exchange for a larger share of Oakland county.

The new maps have not come without political controversy, particularly surrounding the state’s southeast corner. The Michigan Legislative Black Caucus already is planning to form a court challenge on the grounds that the maps violate laws in the U.S. constitution, state redistricting guidelines and the Voting Rights Act.

“These flawed redistricting plans (for both the Congressional and state Legislative districts) will disenfranchise voters of color in the state of Michigan for the next decade,” Rep. Frank Durhal, D-Detroit, and head of the Black Caucus wrote in a letter to Synder following the signing.

While not addressing the allegations directly, Snyder issued a statement Tuesday afternoon, assuring the maps “meet Federal Voting Act requirements.”

Michigan will lose one congressional seat next year on as a result of decreased population findings in the 2010 census.

“At our peak, we had 19 seats in Congress. We only have 15 today and next year we are going to drop to 14 because Michigan was the only state in the nation to actually lose population over the last decade,” Snyder said in a statement.

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