Redistricting -- Window Rock hearing/drowning in paper

On Friday, the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission conducted a Public Outreach Hearing in Window Rock, capitol of the Navajo Nation.  Today, the Commission is in Pinetop, with remote teleconferencing to/from Winslow and Holbrook.  The hearing will start at 1pm. Watch live streaming video here.

Roughly 15 members of the public attended the hearing in Window Rock with 6 providing testimony to the Commission.  Current state Rep. Albert Hale as well as members and staff of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission set forth the position of the Navajo Nation on the upcoming redistricting.

Leonard Gorman, executive director of the NNHRC submitted maps to be entered into the official record with suggested district lines. He also indicated that Hopi officials have assured him they are very comfortable with the idea of having the two nations in the same Congressional districts, in contrast to the 2001 maps.

NO tea party disruptions occurred at the Window Rock hearing.
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Pursuant to a public records request I submitted to the AIRC, I obtained documents submitted by two current lawmakers clearly intended to make AIRC staff drown in paper.  I will write about (and post) those documents later today.

Word from the Pinetop location just prior to start of today's hearing is that there IS a tea party presence.  How much of a disruption they cause is yet to be seen.

An online news story posted on Thursday ahead of  the Prescott hearing has an embedded video clip of LD1 state Sen. Steve Pierce telling a Republican men's group about the AIRC, suggesting they attend the hearing. The clip is followed by quotes from AZ House Speaker Andy Tobin saying the apparent problems with the Commission are a "trend all Fair Arizonans should be concerned about."


Last night on Phoenix public broadcasting station KAETs Horizon, the Arizona Republic's Mary Jo Pitzl discussed Horne's investigation and said that the controversy over the AIRC procurement decisions is starting to subside.  However, that may be a bit premature.  The Pinetop hearing starts in a few minutes.  Will have to see what happens.