Thursday, January 20, 2011

Screening panel meeting set for Jan 21

To comply with the AZ Supreme Court ruling in Pearce/Adams' suit challenging the list of eligible redistricting commissioners, the Appellate Court Commission on Appointments will meet tomorrow at 11:30am.  According to the agenda, public comment will be taken, the panel may go into executive session to promote frank discussion of a given candidate or to conduct part of an interview of a potential candidate, and will ultimately vote to add two names to the list of eligible Republicans.

To recap, Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce and House Speaker Kirk Adams filed suit at the end of December hoping to get Arizona State University Law Professor Paul Bender disqualified from serving as a commissioner in the upcoming redistricting cycle.  To make their case, Pearce and Adams threw Republicans Mark Schnepf and Stephen Sossaman under the bus, asking for them also to be disqualified.  Further, the two GOP legislative leaders made a stink because a Tucson Republican (Christopher Gleason) linked to Tea Party candidate for Congress (Jesse Kelly) was excluded from the list.  For more background on those issues, check archived posts to the Arizona Eagletarian (links on the right side of your page).

Yesterday, the Court granted partial relief, disqualifying the two Republicans.  However, saying that service as a tribal judge does not make him a "public official" for this purpose, Professor Bender was affirmed and will remain on the list.

If you have anything to say about any of the candidates, the open meeting at 11:30am tomorrow at the State Courts Building, 1501 W. Washington in Phoenix, will be the time to say it.

I will be there and will post the outcome tomorrow afternoon.

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