The Arizona Senate split along party lines as it approved a Republican proposal to revamp the state commission that handles the contentious political issue of redrawing the state’s congressional and legislative districts once each decade. The measure approved Wednesday would increase the Independent Redistricting Commission to nine members with equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents. The commission currently has two Republicans, two Democrats and one independent. Redistricting has high stakes in politics because the boundaries and makeup of districts can influence whether a party and individual candidates can win elections.
Arizona voters in 2000 took redistricting out of the hands of the Legislature by approving an initiative measure that created the commission.
The Senate’s 17-13 vote sent the resolution to the House, where approval of the proposed amendment to the Arizona Constitution would put it on the November ballot.
Senate President Steve Yarbrough, R-Chandler, said his proposal would better represent independents and dilute party efforts to dominate redistricting, the Arizona Capitol Times reported.
Full Article: Arizona Senate OKs GOP plan to revamp redistricting panel | The Daily Courier | Prescott, AZ.