The Michigan Independent Redistricting Commission has approved new legislative district maps for the state, and they would alter southwest Michigan’s districts quite a bit. Starting with the U.S. House map, the commission on Tuesday approved the proposed Chestnut map. That would cut Berrien County into two congressional districts, with everything north of Stevensville in the Fourth District, which extends all the way north to West Olive and east to Battle Creek. Berrien County from Stevensville south would be in the Fifth District, which extends all the way across the bottom part of the state to Monroe and also reaches up into Marshall. For the state House, the redistricting commission approved the Hickory map. That puts shoreline communities all throughout the county into the 38th District, which is a thin district that goes up to Saugatuck. Areas farther inland like Three Oaks and Baroda would go into the 37th District, which goes into Cass County. Meanwhile, northern Berrien County areas like Coloma and Watervliet would be with most of Van Buren County in the 39th District that goes north to Pullman. The state Senate districts are also different, with parts of Berrien County in the new 17th District and the 20th District. You can see the maps here.
