Fractured IRC gets back to work
After winning an Arizona Supreme Court battle against a Republican governor and Senate that ordered her removal, reinstated Independent Redistricting Commission Chairwoman Colleen Mathis is facing the immediate challenge of leading a commission that has fractured down party lines.
Brewer not ruling out ouster of IRC Dems
Gov. Jan Brewer might still seek the removal of the two Democratic members of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. Matthew Benson, a spokesman for the governor, said Brewer still has concerns about the actions of Democratic commissioners Jose Herrera and Linda McNulty, whom he said committed misconduct in coordination with ousted Chairwoman Colleen Mathis.
Dem commissioners Herrera, McNulty blast Brewer
Democratic redistricting commissioners Jose Herrera and Linda McNulty lambasted Gov. Jan Brewer for what they called a coordinated attempt to interfere with the work of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
IRC will hire attorneys for Brewer inquiry
The embattled Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission will hire attorneys for three members in response to Gov. Jan Brewer’s demands for information about allegations of serious misconduct.
Redistricting commission approves ‘donut’ map; Dems call it rotten
Arizona’s five redistricting commissioners will begin filling the hole in the center of their “donut” congressional district plan today.
And although the decision to use the "donut" map shows more momentum than the commission has demonstrated in recent weeks, the plan has won opposition.
Redistricting commission files suit seeking to halt Horne’s investigation
The state redistricting commission today filed a lawsuit seeking to stop Attorney General Tom Horne’s investigation into whether the commission violated open meetings laws during the hiring of its mapping firm in June.
Redistricting chairwoman pushes ‘donut hole’ map for congressional districts
The chairwoman of the Independent Redistricting Commission wants the panel to take a fill-in-the-blanks approach to re-mapping the state's political districts, asking her fellow commissioners to tentatively adopt a map that leaves blank nearly the entire Phoenix metro area, which would include four of the state’s nine congressional districts.
IRC should hold itself to same standards as mapping firm
In the high-stakes job to redraw Arizona’s political districts, much has been debated about the idea of “transparency.”
The Independent Redistricting Commission, apparently concerned about the public perception of its decision to hire a mapping firm with historic ties to Democratic causes, recently established a rule intended to allay fears of partisanship driving the mapping proc[...]
IRC Democrat still leery of cooperating with AG probe
If Republican Attorney General Tom Horne would be willing to meet the Independent Redistricting Commission halfway, a Democrat on the panel said he would be prone to reconsidering his stance that he and his colleagues should resist cooperating with an investigation Horne launched last month.
Redistricting commissioner set to cooperate with AG investigation
More than a month after Attorney General Tom Horne announced an investigation into possible open meeting and procurement law violations by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, his attorneys will finally get to conduct their first interview with a commissioner Wednesday morning.
Redistricting commission unveils first set of maps
After months of administrative drudgery and political tumult the five-person panel charged with redrawing Arizona’s political districts released their first set of working maps Saturday.