The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, tasked with redrawing the maps for Congressional and legislative districts for the State of AZ has set the schedule for the 1st round of public hearings. Go to their website, www.azredistricting.org for the full state-wide schedule (15 hearings in 24 locations).

Two Tucson hearings are scheduled in this first round:

Tuesday August 2, 6 p.m.
City of South Tucson
Council Chambers
1601 S. 6th Avenue 85713

Saturday August 6, 6 p.m.
Abrams Public Health Building
3950 S. Country Club Rd. 85714

Mission: The Independent Redistricting Commission’s mission is to administer the fair and balanced redistricting of the Congressional and Legislative districts for the State of Arizona.

Many Tucsonans have been speaking at the Call for Public Comment at earlier organizational meetings of this newly-formed Commission. You can also watch the meetings (usually) via Live Stream from their website. Agendas and minutes from past meetings are online as well.

If you care about how the new Congressional and state legislative districts in Arizona are drawn (based on 2010 Census changes), then you might want to attend the upcoming meeting of the AIRC (Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission). Based on population increase, Arizona is supposed to get an additional Congressional District seat in the U.S. Congress. Next meeting of the AIRC in Tucson:

Thursday June 30, 1 p.m. at

Pima Community College – District Office
4905 E. Broadway Blvd.
Building “C” Room #105
Tucson, AZ 85709 (West of Rosemont Blvd)

I reported about this AIRC when they met earlier this month on June 15 in Oro Valley (click here), and I attended a May AIRC meeting in Tucson at the UA Student Union. You can also watch the meetings via Live Stream (usually) at their website: www.azredistricting.org. And there is always a Call for Public Comment period in which members of the public can provide input.

The June 30 agenda indicates a presentation by their mapping consultant.

The Commission meets mostly in Phoenix, so this is another chance for Tucsonans to watch the process live, and participate if they chose to.

Note: I personally know Commissioner Rick Stertz having served as Co-chair with him years ago on a neighborhood Zoning/Land Use committee.

Mission: The Independent Redistricting Commission’s mission is to administer the fair and balanced redistricting of the Congressional and Legislative districts for the State of Arizona.

Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) website: www.azredistricting.org.

The five Commissioners on this AIRC are: Chair Colleen Coyle Mathis (I, Pima County), Vice Chair Scott Day Freeman (R, Maricopa County), Jose Herrera (D, Maricopa County), Linda McNulty (D, Pima County), Rick Stertz (R, Pima County). Click here for bios on these Commissioners (except for Stertz’s).

The next meeting will be on Wed. June 15, 9:30 a.m. at the Town of Oro Valley Council chambers, 11000 N. La Canada Dr., Oro Valley, 85737. To view the agenda, click here.

You can also watch these meetings via Live Stream, or show up to speak at the Call for Public Comments (agenda item #2). At the May 10, 2011 meeting at the Tucson Room in the U of A Memorial Student Union, several Tucsonans did speak about their concerns. The previous meeting agendas and some minutes are online at their website as well, in case you missed those meetings.

To read more about the AIRC, I refer you to Steve Muratore’s blogsite, The Arizona Eagletarian, as he is attending all of the meetings and closely monitoring this Commission and its work.