AZ REDISTRICTING: WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

posted by Michael Chihak

Arizona Week on Friday will take an in-depth look at the process for redistricting in the state, which will drive all legislative and congressional politics for the next decade.

A five-member commission will make the decisions on redrawing the state's 30 legislative districts and nine congressional districts for use in the elections beginning next year. Arizona had eight congressional districts last decade, adding one because of increased population as measured in the 2010 Census.

That census is the basis for the redistricting, with each district intended to have roughly the same population as the next. In the case of the congressional districts, that will be about 710,000 people in each. In the case of the legislative districts, it will be about 213,700.

But it isn't a matter of simple math in the districts. Each must be drawn to conform to a series of constitutionally prescribed parameters, including compliance with the U.S. Voting Rights Act, geographical compactness and "communities of Interest".

All of the criteria are challenges, but "communities of interest" poses the biggest pitfalls.

The commission, chaired by politically independent Tucsonan Colleen Mathis, will meet Thursday morning in Phoenix to continue setting rules of procedure and reviewing the needs for staffing.

On Friday's program, we will aim to interview a political scientist, a current or former member of the commission and one of the originators of the proposition that created the process.