Redistricting -- meetings meetings and more meetings

Potential new developments in Attorney General Tom Horne's pissing contest, er, investigation of possible Open Meeting violations by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission brought new urgency and revived a scheduled meeting on August 15.  That is, despite the scheduling conflict which originally nixed plans to meet that day.

Therefore, the AIRC will meet at 8:30am Monday at the Holiday Inn, 777 Pinal Ave, Casa Grande. The agenda calls for a discussion of the AG investigation; (discussion of) possible disclosure of executive session minutes regarding the procurement matters; discussion of additional Open Meeting Law training; and legal services expenditures.

This comes up today apparently because Horne's office did not like what the AIRC had to say the other day on the subject. At that time, the Commission spelled out that it was aware the scope of the AG investigation was to be more narrow than Horne originally suggested.

More will be coming on this situation later today.

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The AIRC has posted a count of the number of people that signed in to each of the Public Outreach Hearings and the number of Request to Speak forms submitted at each. In total, 1,139 people signed in and 639 requested to speak.  More people attended the meetings (not everyone signed in).  Everyone who requested to speak was called to speak.  A number of people had left meetings before their name was called, therefore fewer than 639 people actually testified at the hearings.

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As I reported several days ago, Roman Ulman submitted a complaint about a threat he received at the AIRC hearing in Phoenix last Friday.  Ulman did tell the Commission about the incident, by way of the website feedback form on Saturday.  In a response to information Ray Bladine sent to the Phoenix City Manager's office, Commander Sandra Renteria (Police dept. liaison to the Phoenix City Manager) said:

I will pass this on so the officers present at Council Chambers will be aware of possible intimidation occurring.  I can't speak for the MCSO deputies but if someone feels they are being threatened again, please have them contact the officers.  They will address it immediately.

As AIRC Commissioner Scott Freeman said before, nobody should be intimidated at any meeting or hearing they hold.

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No agenda for the August 17 meeting at the Phoenix City Council Chambers has been posted yet.  But Bladine told me today the start time will be in the afternoon.  Other meetings will follow later next week and the following week.  As I receive information, I will keep you (and this blog) posted.