The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission composed of 2 Democrats (Jose Herrera, Linda McNulty), 2 Republicans (Scott Freeman, Rick Stertz), 1 Independent (Colleen Mathis) have been meeting & holding public hearings on proposed Congressional/legislative maps for Arizona since this Spring.

The Commission & their staff recently drew up 2 preliminary draft maps of 30 new legislative districts and 9 Congressional districts for the public to consider & comment on. (Arizona has an additional seat in Congress due to increase in population based on the 2010 Census).

These draft maps are now online at ther website: http://www.azredistricting.org/Maps/Draft-Maps.asp

And the 2nd round of public hearings have begun. The first round of public hearings in the summer were well attended and many individuals & groups provided feedback to the Commission on how the maps should be drawn. Factors to consider in drawing up districts are equal population, existing geographic & political lines, compactness & contiguousness, competitiveness, communities of interest.

Plan on attending these Southern Arizona hearings:

Monday, October 24, 2011
City of Tucson 6:00 p.m.
University of Arizona
Student Union Memorial Center
North Ballroom
1303 E. University Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85721

Friday, November 4, 2011
Town of Marana 6:00 p.m.
Town of Marana
Marana Municipal Complex
Auditorium
11555 W. Civic Center Drive
Marana, AZ 85653

Saturday, November 5, 2011
Town of Green Valley 10:00 a.m.
Desert Hills Social Center
Desert Hills Auditorium
2980 S. Camino del Sol
Green Valley, AZ 85622

Online comments are welcome at www.azredistricting.org or click here for the public input form.

My previous blog on this redistricting issue (click here). KUAT’s “Arizona Week” host Michael Chihak interviewed Democrat & Republican leaders on the draft maps on October 14 (click here).

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.