>> A DEATH THREAT. DISRUPTING
THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IN
MICHIGAN, AN INDEPENDENT GROUP
OF CITIZENS RE DRAWS THE
STATE’S ELECTION MAPS. BUT
THAT THREAT YESTERDAY IS
RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT JUST
HOW POLITICAL THE WHOLE
PROCESS HAS BECOME. NBC NEWS
DOT COM SENIOR REPORTER JANE
TIMM JOINS US NOW WITH MORE ON
THIS. JANE, FIRST THE THREAT.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED THERE.
>> YEAH. WE KNOW THE THREAT
CAME IN BY E-MAIL AND IT WAS
AGAINST THE COMMISSION ITSELF.
ON AN INDIVIDUAL ON THE
COMMISSION. BUT THE COMMISSION
GOING AFTER THE CITY TO DO THE
REALLY WANT THE SAUSAGE MAKING
POLITICAL WORK. A DRAWING
THESE POLITICAL MAPS. NOW,
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME AN
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION HAS
DRAWN THE POLITICAL MAPS IN
MICHIGAN PREVIOUSLY. IT WAS
DONE BY LAWMAKERS TO GET THIS
BACK ROOMS. AND NOW IT’S
ENTIRELY ON ZOOM YOU CAN WATCH
IT NEEDED FOR THE PROCESS. AND
I WHEN WE HEAR THESE MEETINGS,
YOU SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
ARE VERY ANGRY AT HOW
REDISTRICTING HAS BECOME IN
AMERICA AND THEY’RE ACTUALLY
IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
MICHIGAN TEAM THAT SORT
THINKING THAT IT’S A
BIPARTISAN COMMISSION WITH AN
AFFILIATED MEMBERS AND WHAT
WE’RE STATE NEWS THAT VISION’S
BECOME REALLY TENTS THAT THIS
THREAT WAS ABLE TO SHUT IT
DOWN FOR SEVERAL HOURS NOW.
PATROLS WERE SENT OUT. TO LOOK
AT AND TRY TO FIND THERE IS
ANY AT CREDIBLE THREAT AT THE
BUT MEETING WAS DELAYED FOR
SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE IT
EVENTUALLY KEPT BACK AND
GOING. BUT THEY DID HAVE TO
COOK SHORT CAN CUT SHORT. HOW
PUBLIC WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE
IN MAY AS WELL. JUST TO KIND
OF GET DONE BY NIGHTFALL WITH
THAT.
>> SO I WANT I WANT TO GO TOO
DEEPLY INTO HOW THE SAUSAGE IS
MADE JANE, BUT I AM CURIOUS,
CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT MICHIGAN’S PROCESS FOR
REDISTRICTING.
>> YEAH, IT’S REALLY UNUSUAL
IT YOU CAN ANYONE CAN APPLY TO
BE ONE OF THESE COMMISSIONERS
WHO DRAWS THESE LINES AND
MANY, MANY DO A DROPPING BY
LOTTERY ONCE THEY BECOME A
CREDIBLE PULLED OUT OF THE
HAT, ESPECIALLY NAMES TO
REALLY CAN’T STACK THE THERE’S
REPUBLICANS 4 DEMOCRATS AND $5
PETS 13, IT ISN’T
COMMISSIONERS WHO DO THIS. AND
THIS IS NOT EASY WORK. SO I DO
KNOW THEY PICK THAT SPEED
BUMPS FOR SURE COMPLICATED TO
DO THIS AND TO KEEP IT
COMPLYING WITH THE LAWS AND
ALSO THE DOCTOR JOB OR BE IN
THE STATE.
>> AND JAMES, YOU LOOK AHEAD
INTO THE MIDTERMS NEXT YEAR.
HOW DOES MICHIGAN’S
CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AND THE
CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THE
REDRAWING THAT’S HAPPENING.
>> YEAH. SO THE PREVIOUS
CONGRESSIONAL MAP ABSOLUTELY.
AND THE STATE LEGISLATIVE MAPS
I TALKED TO ONE OF THE GUYS
WHO WAS INVOLVED IN DRAWING AT
LAST COMMITTEE SAID WE DID
EVERYTHING WE COULD WITHIN THE
BOUNDS OF THE LAW TO PUT A
THUMB ON SCALES FOR
REPUBLICANS. REPUBLICAN
OFFICIAL WHO WE DID OUR BEST
THAT THE DRUG DISTRICT THAT
MAY BE EASIER FOR US TO WIN,
THOUGH, I THINK WITH CITIZENS
DOING IT, YOU’RE UNLIKELY TO
SEE THE SAME KIND OF PARTISAN
EFFORT THERE. AND THAT’S WHAT
THIS COMMISSION WAS WAS PUT IN
PLACE TO DO BY VOTERS WHO IN
2018 TO CHANGE HOW THEY
REDISTRICTING THAT THEY COULD
HAVE THE DEFENSE NORMAL PEOPLE
LIKE YOU AND ME DOING THIS
KIND OF PROCESS INSTEAD OF A
BACKROOM POLITICIAN. >> ALL RIGHT. JANE TIMM FOR US