Michigan Redistricting Commission should keep Michigan colleges, universities together

Dec 9, 2021

By: Jonathan Flynn and Katie Ellison

With redistricting in Michigan entering its final phase, the commission’s proposed maps are stirring controversy among various interest groups. With competing political and geographical interests, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission has its work cut out for it.

The commission has a list of seven criteria, ranked from most to least important, that it must satisfy. One of those categories, communities of interest — ranked third behind municipal boundaries and incumbent favoritism — has been of significant debate.

Conflicting opinions on what constitutes a certain community or which community a particular town or municipality belongs to are common across the state.

So the question becomes, “What communities should be prioritized within the redistricting process?” In short, college students and their campus communities should be one of them.

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