LANSING – Neither Republicans nor Democrats have been able to come up with maps that meet federal requirements for treatment of minorities, members of the Legislative Black Caucus said Tuesday in threatening a federal legal challenge if the caucus’ concerns are not addressed.

The state has lost overall population, but has seen its minority population grow and spread, said Rep. Fred Durhal Jr. (D-Detroit), chair of the caucus. But under the mostly likely current Senate plan, the state would have fewer majority-minority districts.

“We certainly hope that what have been previously released are not the best and final plans,” Durhal said. “If they are, those plans will be refuted by this caucus.”

Melvin “Butch” Hollowell, attorney for the caucus, said the new districts have to account not only for racial makeup, but for the proportions of that population registered to vote.

The caucus, for the Senate, was able to draw six majority-minority districts, up from the current five. The Senate Republican plan would drop that to four, Hollowell said.

The Senate map currently under consideration also does not meet state or federal guidelines for compactness and contiguity of districts. “That would not pass scrutiny in any court,” he said of the proposed 1st District, though he said the rest of the districts in Detroit are at best questionable as well.

For the House, he said two of the majority-minority districts are “phantom” districts because, while half the population of the districts is minority, more than half the voting population is white.

The proposal also splits the Hispanic population in Detroit in half.

“That may be an intentional violation of the act,” Hollowell said.

The caucus is arguing that its proposal for Detroit has more true majority-minority districts as well as more compact districts as state and federal rules require.

For the House, the caucus was also able to draw a majority-minority district in Grand Rapids. “This is historic,” Mr. Hollowell said. The proposed district is on the south side of the city.

The caucus also was able to draw districts in Saginaw and Ypsilanti that would have minority influence, at least 40 percent minority.

Hollowell said the caucus’ recommendations should carry some weight in the redistricting process. “If you ignore the recommendation of the black caucus in your state, that is viewed by some courts as intentional discrimination,” he said.

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