Thread by @redistrictAZ

Count-Down to #FairDistricts for AZ: 62 Days

Tonight there are 119 "citizen submissions" on the AIRC Hub. Seven more than the 112 that were posted this morning. One of those submissions is from the Southern Arizona Leadership Council @SALCLeaders -a group founded by

Commissioner Mehl in 1997. What makes this map stand out is the submitters messaged Commissioner Mehl to tell him they had submitted a map. Want to know what it is now called? Draft version 6.3. in the official draft map lineage.

Maps from two other groups have been brought

forward for serious consideration by the @ArizonaIRC. One, a single legislative district, was submitted by the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission @NNHRC1 on behalf of the Navajo Nation (a sovereign Native American Nation).

The Arizona Latino Coalition for Fair Redistricting also submitted plans for two suggested voting rights act congressional districts and eight suggested voting rights act districts for the state legislature.

The suggested district submitted on behalf of the Navajo Nation @NNHRC1 was essentially rejected. Twice. A small window was left ajar for possible tweaks "here and there." The consensus thinking was the comparable district in the ever-evolving draft map -

was maybe 85% of what was being suggested. That would be enough.

The fate of the suggested districts from the Latino Coalition have been far less obvious. Reviewed first, then compared to similar districts in the evolving draft plans; then integrated; then removed.

As the discussion stands now the @ArizonaIRC majority (the two republican partisan appointees and the Chairperson) believe they can match the existing seven VRA legislative districts and address any additional Latino community needs through

adherence to community of interest criteria. They see no need for, and have no interest in, creating an eighth Latino legislative district - despite this cohesive community request and 30% Latino population growth over the last decade as compared to 11% statewide growth overall.

If I were the author of one of the other 119 "citizen submission“ plans I'd be looking for the private contact information of one of the commissioners. Perhaps the @SALCLeaders could share Commissioner Mehl's contact info.

Clearly the @ArizonaIRC is comfortable playing favorites.

Beyond the simple unfairness of the @SALCLeaders jumping the queue, there is the reality that the population and interests of both the Navajo Nation and the Latino communities are protected under the voting rights act.

It is appropriate for the @ArizonaIRC to give special consideration to these entities that speak for the protected communities. A regional business interest has no similar special standing in the process of redistricting. But they do have a commissioner to call their own.

@ArizonaIRC has failed time and time again to conduct their business in public. Despite multiple requests they have made no effort to report on which groups commissioners and staff were talking with and what was shared. Or promised.

The fact that this @SALCLeaders map shows up - just like that - on the same day, only hours after, Com. Mehl asked the mapping consultant to be "creative" w/drawing this favored district is suspect. At best. Corrupt at worst.

This is deeply disturbing. #ArizonaDeservesBetter