When Mark Brewer says there are six counties split, is he...

Regarding the VRA, why not go straight to the source? Which, BTW, does not say ANYTHING about requiring black-majority districts.

The VRA mainly focuses on denying the right to vote by the implementation of poll taxes, literacy tests, character/educational requirements or by threats or intimidation. There is nothing about requiring certain politicians be perpetually kept in office.

One last thing, has anyone heard anything regarding when the new proposed maps will be available and/or what shapes they'll take?

I hope that this "leaked" map is some kind of feint.

Instead of putting Clarke & Conyers head-to-head, they've created new districts (9,11 & 14) that just scream, "Hey look! I'm gerrymandered." Breaking that Eight Mile barrier isn't going to get very much support here either.

This is definitely a solid 9-5 map.  The outstate region is pretty similar to what I drew in my incumbent protection map.

Benishek gets Grand Traverse and surrounding areas.  Good.

Huizinga appears to add Walker and Kentwood, which probably makes his district even more Republican than now.  Why not take some (all?) of Grand Rapids instead?

Upton gets the rest of Allegan, as I also drew.

Walberg loses all of Calhoun (not just Battle Creek) to Amash, making a Mark Schauer comeback all but impossible.

Clinton and S Schiawasee move from Rogers to Camp.

The boundaries in the Detroit area are pretty messy though.  I think I see what they are going for.  Keep two black-majority districts, chop Peters up into four pieces so he can't run in any of them, keep Dingell in his own district.  This gets tough since Peters, Levin, Conyers, and Dingell live so close together due to population loss.

Dingell loses Monroe to Walberg, while taking Scio from him.  Dingell also gets back most of  downriver.

Yessiree, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer = RWPP*

Brewer added that the map also follows the requirements of the Federal Voting Rights Act by creating six "majority-minority" districts, five of which would be based in Detroit and one in Oakland County due to the growth of the African-American community through southeast Michigan.

Oh, and to lard ass Brewer, when playing your race hustling hyphenated American games...