Constitutionally mandates voters' macro political party preference!

Nobody likes the idea of gerrymandering, at least not in polite company.  Which is why it's surprising the lefty extremists behind the Reform Michigan Government Now petition didn't just fail to outlaw gerrymanders in their ballot proposal, they went the other way and enshrine specific percentage based partisan political gerrymanders in the Constitution.  Worse, they make your party preference a matter of constitutional law.

Silly me, I always liked that whole freedom of association thing... joining whichever party I want without so much as a "by your leave."  

Under the scheme four Senate districts and nine House districts would be constitutionally required to consist of no more than 50-53% of residents identified with one political party or the other.  

All of the other House and Senate districts are then constitutionally required to be gerrymandered based on political affiliation with an even split between Republican and Democrat majorities.

By stipulating specific demographic ratios RMGN conceivably ignores geography, city and county lines and common sense.  But that's not the scary part...

Imagine, if you will, that in the next cycle or two Michigan goes further red or blue.  That we move noticeably in one direction or the other.  Say 65% could be identified with one party.  That would throw a major wrench in the works.  Under the out-of-state (allegedly) extremists' rewrite the State of Michigan could, theoretically, automatically violate her own Constitution.  It could all fall in on itself.

No word from the petition backers on what would happen if it became impossible to evenly split the state's legislative districts along partisan lines.  But that's not a surprise.  There hasn't been a word from the petition backers on anything to this point.  Suppose in 2010 they'll run the companion ballot initiative that tells each and every one of us what party we have to support to maintain their precious balance.  Or what region of the state we have to move to if we insist on being Republicans (or Democrats).  And we thought the government was intrusive NOW!