Today's meeting of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is about to begin. You can watch here:
Here's today's agenda: publicmeetings.az.gov/sites/default/…
Today is the IRC's first meeting without Yasmin Ramos from ADOA, who's been staffing the commission while it worked on hiring its own staff. "It feels very different without Yasmin," Chairwoman Neuberg says.
Neuberg says IRC received public comments questioning what political activities its two law firms can engage in. She says they won't advise any candidates, parties or committees on redistricting, but they'll still advise clients on other election law matters.
Dem Commissioner Lerner responds to public comments on the IRC's selection of a mapping consultant
First, Lerner says the largest of comments were against HaystaqDNA. She says these focused on the Dem partisan background, not their qualifications, which Lerner says were strong.
Lerner was on the losing side of a 3-2 vote to hire Timmons Group/NDC. She says she'll work closely with them to ensure proper representation for minority voters and Native Americans.
Many members of the public wanted the IRC to hire a nonpartisan mapping consultant, which Lerner says the commissioners would've preferred. But there were only three applicants, and all had partisan leanings, one Dem and two R.
Lerner asks that people keep sending public comments but to keep it respectful. She notes that they're all volunteers and people's angry tone doesn't help their cause.
Executive Director Brian Schmitt says he hopes IRC will approve community outreach coordinator position so he can post opening and start vetting applicants if legislature approves funding for the position. He notes that lawmakers are still working on the budget.
On a unanimous vote, the IRC approves the creation of a community outreach coordinator position
IRC is going into executive session to discussion the awarding of a contract for their mapping consultant and the posting of the procurement file
The proposals from the 3 applicants, their responses to public concerns and other documents from the mapping consultant procurement process will be released within 3 days of the awarding of the contract.
Neuberg only expects them to be in executive session for about 15 minutes
The commission and staff are returning from executive session
Neuberg says the procurement file will be publicly posted within 3 days
The return from executive session was short-lived. The IRC is going back into e-session for a briefing from legal counsel on conflict-of-interest training, discussion on the use of subcommittees and compliance with open meeting law, among other issues.
The commissioners and staff are returning from executive session
Based on what they discussed in e-session, Neuberg says the commission is interested in inviting state demographer and someone from the Census Bureau to give them a briefing
Next week's meeting will again start at 8 a.m. Neuberg said she doesn't expect any other deviations from their normal 9 a.m. start time in the near future.
The Independent Redistricting Commission has adjourned for the day. They'll be back on Tuesday, May 18 at 8 a.m.
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