The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission will go to court to try to obtain additional funding, an attorney for the commission said.

Lisa Hauser, chief counsel for the commission, said that she anticipates filing a petition for special action before the Arizona Supreme Court Oct. 16 seeking additional funding so the commission can defend the legislative and congressional district boundaries it drew in 2002.

At issue is whether the Independent Redistricting Commission will be able to receive any more funds than the $6 million that the state Constitution provides.

The Independent Redistricting Commission was created through an amendment to the Constitution that voters approved in 2000. The change took the task of drawing political boundaries in the state out of the hands of the Legislature and gave it to the newly created Redistricting Commission.

Article 4, Part 2, Section 18 of the Arizona Constitution states, in part, “The treasurer of the state shall make $6,000,000 available for the work of the Independent Redistricting Commission pursuant to the year 2000 census.”

Treasurer Rejects Request

On Oct. 9, State Treasurer David Petersen rejected a request from the commission for an additional $4.2 million, most of which is expected to be spent on legal fees. The trial in the lawsuit seeking to overturn the district lines, whose plaintiffs include a number of Democrats and members of minority groups, is set to begin Nov. 12. The plaintiffs contend that the commission violated the state Constitution by failing to draw enough districts that would give Democrats and members of minority groups better chances of electing their candidates.

The Independent Redistricting Commission announced earlier this month that it had already spent all but about $75,000 of the $6 million appropriated to it when the commission began operations in 2001.

Governor Napolitano has entered the dispute by saying she will not put the matter on the agenda for the special session of the Legislature that convenes Oct. 20.

Paul Allvin, spokesman for the governor, said Ms. Napolitano wants to know more about how the commission spent the $6 million it received.

“I want to see what the actual legal billings have been and why they need that much more money,” Ms. Napolitano told The Associated Press on Oct. 8. “Let’s just say when I’m fighting to get $8.5 million [in new money] for [Child Protective Services], paying lawyers is not my top priority.” —