A proposed referral that would ask voters whether they wanted to eliminate the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission took its first step toward the November ballot Wednesday.

An Arizona Senate committee on Wednesday is to consider a Republican proposal to put redistricting back in the hands of state lawmakers and the governor.

A proposal by House Speaker Andy Tobin may give Republicans one last chance to rid themselves of congressional and legislative maps they’ve fought so hard to eliminate.

The Paulden Republican wants a November ballot measure that would overhaul the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. The proposal would expand the IRC to 12 members, eliminate a panel that nominates commissioners, and impose state open meeting law on the commission.

The old switcheroo.

Just when it seemed like the once-a-decade redistricting process was headed toward its conclusion, a truism in Arizona politics was reaffirmed Friday: Expect the unexpected.

Tobin’s plan seems likely to run into preclearance problems with DOJ.

While legislative Republicans have repeatedly castigated the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission for sometimes operating outside of the public’s view, House Speaker Andy Tobin’s counterproposal was written out of anyone’s view.

If Republicans go along with House Speaker Andy Tobin’s plan to force a special election that would seek to change the state’s legislative and congressional maps, it will cost Arizona more than $8 million.

Republican lawmakers’ dormant war with the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is flaring up anew, as House Speaker Andy Tobin has introduced a host of measures that would set a special election so voters could decide whether to use legislative and congressional maps drawn by the Legislature instead of those approved last month by the volunteer panel.

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission’s legal battle with Republican lawmakers wasn’t cheap, and the embattled panel will soon have to ask those same lawmakers for extra money to foot the bill.

A state House committee on Thursday will consider a Senate-approved bill that was proposed because of delays in Arizona's redistricting process.