Redistricting -- chaos at the state capitol? UPDATED

At this writing, four of the five Arizona Independent Redistricting Commissioners have responded to Governor Jan's notice of intent to impeach and remove them from their unpaid positions.

The Arizona Republic has posted an Associated Press write up on the situation and I will write more about it. In the meantime, you may read the letters for yourselves.

Also today, Arizona Capitol Times reporter Evan Wyloge wrote the most comprehensive explanation of the UNfair Trust I've seen anywhere. The article is NOT behind a paywall.

Read the letters:

Commission response

Mathis letter

McNulty letter

Herrera letter

Stertz letter

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A side note, related to the hysteria being generated by rabid tea partiers, AZ Fact Check debunked (AGAIN) the claim that the AIRC has $10 million to spend. This time, it had been asserted by Proud Terri, a proud tea partier who apparently never lets the truth or facts get in the way of what her handlers want her to say.

This claim has been made, on the record, on several occasions before the AIRC. Only $3.5 million has been appropriated.

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Local lobbying firm VeridusAZ tweeted this morning "Special session likely as early as tomorrow. Topic is  redistricting commission."

The legislature's committee on interfering with Independent Redistricting is scheduled to reconvene this afternoon at 1:30pm. The agenda says they will discuss the recommendations they will ask the legislature to approve.

Sen. Steve Pierce had a letter in the Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff) claiming

In our four days of hearings, we have heard from dozens of citizens who are frustrated with the process and the maps. For numerous reasons, they feel the IRC let them down. We are listening, and we will make recommendations to the IRC. We're doing our job. Anything the Daily Sun reads into this is simply paranoia.

However, when Sen. Biggshot and Captain Al (Sen) Melvin come out explicitly stating their intent to have one or more commissioners removed, that's NOT paranoia, it's the paper doing its job. Pierce's protestations notwithstanding.

On twitter, from @senatormelvin last night:

The AZ IRC Chairwoman must be removed for cause. She is blatantly linked to the Democrat party & is anything but independent.

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I just received Freeman's letter. I have to get a sandwich but will update this post afterward.


Exhibits attached to Freeman's letter:
here

here

here

here