Arizona officials have asked to replace federal standards under the No Child Left Behind act with state-level student performance standards and a school accountability system that they say will be more efficient and less burdensome.

Newly drawn legislative district maps have been submitted for approval to the U.S. Department of Justice.

IRC Executive Director Ray Bladine responded late yesterday to the tone and content of the Feb. 17 letter from OSPB Director John Arnold that was mentioned in an item in yesterday’s report.

Redistricting commission attorneys may have been happy to have their congressional maps submitted to the Justice Department for review, but it turns out they forgot to include a few things.

House Speaker Andy Tobin is trying to keep alive his proposal that would ask voters to accept alternate redistricting maps, but the special election plan he is considering appears dead on arrival thanks to logistical and legal roadblocks — and a lukewarm reception from some of his Republican colleagues.

Five pieces of new legislation introduced by House Speaker Andy Tobin have taken power-grabbing to a whole new level, and would set redistricting back to a time of shadowy legislative deals. We could start by asking the now worn-out phrase, “What part of independent does the Arizona House not understand?”

Tobin’s attempt to give voters the option of discarding the IRC’s maps in favor of lines that he and a House staffer drew in secret is on life support, but he said today that he’s not giving up on his push for a special election.

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.