A $1.7 million supplemental appropriation for the Independent Redistricting Commission — H2005 — breezed through the House in less than a week despite Democratic opposition.

The Senate is expected to begin work on the bill Nov. 3.

Commissioners told legislators at a joint briefing on Oct. 27 that they need money to fund the defense of new district boundaries against a legal challenge. The trial is scheduled to start Nov. 12 in Maricopa County Superior Court.

The challenge was filed by the Arizona Minority Coalition for Fair Redistricting, which claims the districts are not competitive.

The request for the funding came shortly after Governor Napolitano issued an amended call for the special session, adding the IRC funding and an appropriation to help the state in a lawsuit filed on behalf of poor students in poor school districts.

Following the House vote, which was 39-18, Ms. Napolitano said by phone from Chicago, where she was meeting with NFL officials regarding Glendale’s hosting of the 2008 Super Bowl, “I am likely to sign this bill.”

Democrats complained that the House lacked priorities because leadership could push a bill through for IRC while doing nothing with bills addressing reform and additional funding for Child Protective Services.

“CPS is more important than the IRC,” House Minority Leader John Loredo, D-Dist. 13, said repeatedly during the week.

He added that House Republicans were putting CPS spending “through a meat grinder” while not taking a second look at IRC spending.

During the briefing on the House floor for members of both houses, Commission member Joshua Hall said that since March 2002 the IRC has spent about $2.4 million on litigation and about $1.5 million for interim maps that were used for the 2002 election.

He said the districts that are now being challenged in court have been pre-cleared by the U.S. Justice Department, but IRC funds are depleted, and the agency would be unable to defend its maps.

Commission member Andrea Minkoff said that if there is a default judgment in the pending court case the 2004 elections will be chaotic.

“We don’t know who will draw the maps,” she said. “And, the new maps will create a different set of problems. We could go back and forth and have a new map for every election until 2010.”

The IRC had requested $4.2 million, but House Speaker Jake Flake, R-Dist. 5, said he decided on the $1.7 million because that should get the agency through the court challenge and possibly an appeal.

“They won’t have enough to draw new maps, if they are needed,” Mr. Flake said. —