The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission will complete its final week of listening to in-person comments and virtual town halls on December 4, 2021.
With only two in-person meetings and one virtual town hall meeting left, the Commissioners are anticipating high numbers of attendance at each of the sessions. The participation has been extremely high over the past three weeks of commenting sessions, registering well over 50 speakers at a couple of sessions and 82 speakers in Prescott Valley Nov. 20, 2021.
In addition, receipt of online comments and map submissions has been at an all-time high as members of the public become familiar with using the mapping tools.
Decision-making meetings to finalize map boundaries for the Congressional and Legislative districts have been set for Dec. 6, 9, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21 and 22, 2021.
The five-member Commission will have nine days of deliberation on the map redrawing taking into consideration the six criteria outlined in the Arizona Constitution Arizona proposition 106.
During the 30-day comment period in the third phase of the redistricting process, the Arizona Constitution provides the Arizona Legislature the opportunity “by memorial or by minority report, which recommendations shall be considered by the Independent Redistricting Commission, the Independent Redistricting Commission shall then establish final district boundaries,” which is the fourth phase of the process.
Three leaders of the state legislature met with IRC commissioners in a virtual public meeting on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021: Arizona House Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, Arizona House Democratic Leader Reginald Bolding and Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers. Additionally, Speaker Bowers and Arizona Senate President Karen Fann jointly submitted a letter to the commission.
The IRC legal counsel Ballard Sparh, LLP, provided a presentation on the Compliance with Federal Law during the meeting.
Over 2,000 public comments have been received online, in person, virtually and emailed; in addition 205 published maps and plans have been submitted through the mapping tool – this number does not include maps on paper submitted to the Commissioners.