Hi there, Michigan.

You may have seen that yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case. In the time since, I’ve heard a lot of opinions about what it means, but the most important takeaway is that it significantly raises the bar in how race can be considered when drawing voting districts.

I’ve been talking to experts about this for weeks in preparation for this decision. I expected a lot of them to say that the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission would shield the state from much of the mid-cycle redistricting we’re seeing in other states. But that’s not quite the case — and the impacts aren’t only going to be to our legislative and congressional maps.

I wrote about what comes next here in the best and most mitten-shaped state out there. My colleagues have also written stories about what this means nationally and in some of our other Votebeat states, if you’re interested in a few different perspectives.

Michigan Secretary of State (and Democratic gubernatorial candidate) Jocelyn Benson used the decision to renew the call for the Michigan Voting Rights Act, a piece of legislation you may not have thought about for a minute. It was introduced in the 2023-24 legislative session, but I haven’t seen it revived this session. The 2024 version packed a LOT into a few bills, but the key focus was filling gaps in federal law by producing voting materials in more languages and protecting voting rights for a number of groups.

I’m going to keep an eye on whatever comes next, be it new policies or new maps. There is nothing I love more than keeping you informed about not only voting in Michigan but also how changes like these will affect you and your loved ones.

If you have questions about this SCOTUS decision, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me at [email protected]. And if you know someone else you might enjoy getting voting news from around our beautiful state, encourage them to subscribe to this newsletter.

In celebration of spring, my rabbits Puff and Honey have been enjoying a fine crop of dandelions. Here are my sweet Honey having a little treat:

Dande-licious.

The Big Story

New SCOTUS decision on Voting Rights Act could have implications for Michigan’s maps

The Louisiana v. Callais ruling could prompt a new challenge to Michigan’s legislative maps, an independent redistricting commissioner said, but the implications are still unfolding.