Republicans in the Arizona House on Wednesday pushed through a proposal to revamp the commission that draws the state’s political boundaries. The House voted 32-25 to approve the measure to overhaul Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission, which sets political district lines that determine who represents voters in Congress and the state Legislature. The vote, with Republicans in favor and Democrats in opposition, came as lawmakers were working to put together and pass a final budget. Any changes to the commission require a vote of the people in the form of an amendment to the Arizona Constitution.
The measure faces one more vote in the Arizona Senate, where it is likely to pass with backing from the Republican majority, before it is placed on the November ballot.
Speaker J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, said the measure, Senate Concurrent Resolution 1034, will create “fairer partisan representation” on the map-making panel.
Republicans complain that the current commission, which was appointed in 2011, drew maps to favor Democrats. A decade earlier, it was the Democrats who complained that the commission favored Republicans.
Full Article: Arizona House passes GOP plan to overhaul redistricting commission.