A federal court approves new Michigan state Senate seats for Detroit-area districts

Federal judges have given final approval to new boundaries for several Detroit-area state legislative seats. The decision ended a case in which the court found that race illegally influenced the old district maps. The court ordered the seats to be redrawn after a group of Black residents argued in a lawsuit that a redistricting map diluted their voting power. The court approved a redrawn state House map in March and the three-judge panel gave final approval for six state Senate districts in a Friday opinion. The finalized map will go into effect when the Michigan state Senate is next up for election in 2026.