On Monday, November 7, Banerian v. Benson, a lawsuit challenging the adopted U.S. House redistricting plan, was dismissed as moot by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The case was filed on January 20, 2022, by a group of Michigan Republicans, including conservative activists, former lawmakers, and at least one sitting lawmaker – Rep Beau LaFave (R-Iron Mountain) –against the Michigan Secretary of State, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC), and the Commission’s members. The lawsuit alleges the adopted redistricting plan violates the U.S. Constitution, specifically the one person, one vote requirement. Plaintiffs also alleged the commissioners defied the communities of interest standard set forth in the Michigan Constitution.
In April, the map was upheld after a three-judge 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel unanimously denied the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against the new congressional map. Judge Raymond Kethledge, who oversaw the case, wrote that the population deviation was not sufficient to warrant disapproval of the commission’s work. The commission was also said to follow the communities of interest standard. Mr. Kethledge additionally wrote that the plaintiffs did not identify an alternative plan that would better preserve communities’ interests while equally resembling the population.
