A GOP attorney who is challenging Arizona’s legislative maps said a federal judge should retroactively apply the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that scrapped the preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act, even though Arizona was still subject to the law when the maps were implemented.

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission once again has five members after Democrat Cid Kallen was sworn in today at the Secretary of State’s office.

The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments has completed its work and today sent three nominees to Rep. Chad Campbell, who, as the House Minority Leader, will pick one to fill a vacancy on the Independent Redistricting Commission.

Thirteen people have applied to fill a vacant Democratic seat on the state’s five-person redistricting commission to replace a commissioner who suddenly resigned in May.

Testifying in federal court, Colleen Mathis finally had her chance to give a direct explanation for events that, over the past two years, have been woven into a full-blown conspiracy theory by Arizona Republicans.

For the first time since Republican redistricting commissioners accused their chairwoman, Colleen Mathis, of destroying mapping firm procurement documents and attempting to privately corral commissioner’s votes, Mathis offered her explanation for what happened in yesterday’s (March 28) IRC trial.

Federal judges hearing a civil suit brought by Republican voters who claim the state's new legislative maps were illegally drawn to benefit Democrats questioned lawyers Friday about whether some members of the commission that made the maps were free of political influence.

A panel of three federal judges is set to hear closing arguments in a civil suit brought by Republican voters who claim the state's new legislative maps were drawn up to give Democrats a better chance of winning seats in the state Legislature.

The Republican conspiracy theory that accuses Democrats of rigging the state’s legislative district map during the most recent redistricting cycle now includes the alleged involvement of Richard Miranda, a former Arizona lawmaker who is currently serving time in prison for unrelated crimes.

Last-minute filings in a federal lawsuit brought by Republicans who claim new legislative maps were illegally drawn to benefit Democrats show GOP lawyers claim to have new evidence to back up their case.