(1) The senate shall be composed of one member elected
from each of the thirty legislative districts established pursuant to this
section.
The house of representatives shall be composed of two members
elected from each of the thirty legislative districts established pursuant
to this section.
(2) Upon the presentation to the governor of a petition bearing the
signatures of not less than two-thirds of the members of each house,
requesting a special session of the legislature and designating the date
of convening, the governor shall promptly call a special session to
assemble on the date specified. At a special session so called the
subjects which may be considered by the legislature shall not be limited.
(3) By February 28 of each year that ends in one, an independent
redistricting commission shall be established to provide for the
redistricting of congressional and state legislative districts. The
independent redistricting commission shall consist of five members. No
more than two members of the independent redistricting commission shall be
members of the same political party. Of the first four members appointed,
no more than two shall reside in the same county. Each member shall be a
registered Arizona voter who has been continuously registered with the
same political party or registered as unaffiliated with a political party
for three or more years immediately preceding appointment, who is
committed to applying the provisions of this section in an honest,
independent and impartial fashion and to upholding public confidence in
the integrity of the redistricting process. Within the three years
previous to appointment, members shall not have been appointed to, elected
to, or a candidate for any other public office, including precinct
committeeman or committeewoman but not including school board member or
officer, and shall not have served as an officer of a political party, or
served as a registered paid lobbyist or as an officer of a candidate's
campaign committee.
(4) The commission on appellate court appointments shall nominate
candidates for appointment to the independent redistricting commission,
except that, if a politically balanced commission exists whose members are
nominated by the commission on appellate court appointments and whose
regular duties relate to the elective process, the commission on appellate
court appointments may delegate to such existing commission (hereinafter
called the commission on appellate court appointments' designee) the duty
of nominating members for the independent redistricting commission, and
all other duties assigned to the commission on appellate court
appointments in this section.
(5) By January 8 of years ending in one, the commission on
appellate court appointments or its designee shall establish a pool of
persons who are willing to serve on and are qualified for appointment to
the independent redistricting commission. The pool of candidates shall
consist of twenty-five nominees, with ten nominees from each of the two
largest political parties in Arizona based on party registration, and five
who are not registered with either of the two largest political parties in
Arizona.
(6) Appointments to the independent redistricting commission shall
be made in the order set forth below. No later than January 31 of years
ending in one, the highest ranking officer elected by the Arizona house of
representatives shall make one appointment to the independent
redistricting commission from the pool of nominees, followed by one
appointment from the pool made in turn by each of the following: the
minority party leader of the Arizona house of representatives, the highest
ranking officer elected by the Arizona senate, and the minority party
leader of the Arizona senate. Each such official shall have a seven-day
period in which to make an appointment. Any official who fails to make an
appointment within the specified time period will forfeit the appointment
privilege. In the event that there are two or more minority parties within
the house or the senate, the leader of the largest minority party by
statewide party registration shall make the appointment.
(7) Any vacancy in the above four independent redistricting
commission positions remaining as of March 1 of a year ending in one shall
be filled from the pool of nominees by the commission on appellate court
appointments or its designee. The appointing body shall strive for
political balance and fairness.
(8) At a meeting called by the secretary of state, the four
independent redistricting commission members shall select by majority vote
from the nomination pool a fifth member who shall not be registered with
any party already represented on the independent redistricting commission
and who shall serve as chair. If the four commissioners fail to appoint a
fifth member within fifteen days, the commission on appellate court
appointments or its designee, striving for political balance and fairness,
shall appoint a fifth member from the nomination pool, who shall serve as
chair.
(9) The five commissioners shall then select by majority vote one
of their
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(1) The senate shall be composed of one member elected
from each of the thirty legislative districts established pursuant to this
section.
The house of representatives shall be composed of two members
elected from each of the thirty legislative districts established pursuant
to this section.
(2) Upon the presentation to the governor of a petition bearing the
signatures of not less than two-thirds of the members of each house,
requesting a special session of the legislature and designating the date
of convening, the governor shall promptly call a special session to
assemble on the date specified. At a special session so called the
subjects which may be considered by the legislature shall not be limited.
(3) By February 28 of each year that ends in one, an independent
redistricting commission shall be established to provide for the
redistricting of congressional and state legislative districts. The
independent redistricting commission shall consist of five members. No
more than two members of the independent redistricting commission shall be
members of the same political party. Of the first four members appointed,
no more than two shall reside in the same county. Each member shall be a
registered Arizona voter who has been continuously registered with the
same political party or registered as unaffiliated with a political party
for three or more years immediately preceding appointment, who is
committed to applying the provisions of this section in an honest,
independent and impartial fashion and to upholding public confidence in
the integrity of the redistricting process. Within the three years
previous to appointment, members shall not have been appointed to, elected
to, or a candidate for any other public office, including precinct
committeeman or committeewoman but not including school board member or
officer, and shall not have served as an officer of a political party, or
served as a registered paid lobbyist or as an officer of a candidate's
campaign committee.
(4) The commission on appellate court appointments shall nominate
candidates for appointment to the independent redistricting commission,
except that, if a politically balanced commission exists whose members are
nominated by the commission on appellate court appointments and whose
regular duties relate to the elective process, the commission on appellate
court appointments may delegate to such existing commission (hereinafter
called the commission on appellate court appointments' designee) the duty
of nominating members for the independent redistricting commission, and
all other duties assigned to the commission on appellate court
appointments in this section.
(5) By January 8 of years ending in one, the commission on
appellate court appointments or its designee shall establish a pool of
persons who are willing to serve on and are qualified for appointment to
the independent redistricting commission. The pool of candidates shall
consist of twenty-five nominees, with ten nominees from each of the two
largest political parties in Arizona based on party registration, and five
who are not registered with either of the two largest political parties in
Arizona.
(6) Appointments to the independent redistricting commission shall
be made in the order set forth below. No later than January 31 of years
ending in one, the highest ranking officer elected by the Arizona house of
representatives shall make one appointment to the independent
redistricting commission from the pool of nominees, followed by one
appointment from the pool made in turn by each of the following: the
minority party leader of the Arizona house of representatives, the highest
ranking officer elected by the Arizona senate, and the minority party
leader of the Arizona senate. Each such official shall have a seven-day
period in which to make an appointment. Any official who fails to make an
appointment within the specified time period will forfeit the appointment
privilege. In the event that there are two or more minority parties within
the house or the senate, the leader of the largest minority party by
statewide party registration shall make the appointment.
(7) Any vacancy in the above four independent redistricting
commission positions remaining as of March 1 of a year ending in one shall
be filled from the pool of nominees by the commission on appellate court
appointments or its designee. The appointing body shall strive for
political balance and fairness.
(8) At a meeting called by the secretary of state, the four
independent redistricting commission members shall select by majority vote
from the nomination pool a fifth member who shall not be registered with
any party already represented on the independent redistricting commission
and who shall serve as chair. If the four commissioners fail to appoint a
fifth member within fifteen days, the commission on appellate court
appointments or its designee, striving for political balance and fairness,
shall appoint a fifth member from the nomination pool, who shall serve as
chair.
(9) The five commissioners shall then select by majority vote one
of their members to serve as vice-chair.
(10) After having been served written notice and provided with an
opportunity for a response, a member of the independent redistricting
commission may be removed by the governor, with the concurrence of
two-thirds of the senate, for substantial neglect of duty, gross
misconduct in office, or inability to discharge the duties of office.
(11) If a commissioner or chair does not complete the term of
office for any reason, the commission on appellate court appointments or
its designee shall nominate a pool of three candidates within the first
thirty days after the vacancy occurs. The nominees shall be of the same
political party or status as was the member who vacated the office at the
time of his or her appointment, and the appointment other than the chair
shall be made by the current holder of the office designated to make the
original appointment. The appointment of a new chair shall be made by the
remaining commissioners. If the appointment of a replacement commissioner
or chair is not made within fourteen days following the presentation of
the nominees, the commission on appellate court appointments or its
designee shall make the appointment, striving for political balance and
fairness. The newly appointed commissioner shall serve out the remainder
of the original term.
(12) Three commissioners, including the chair or vice-chair,
constitute a quorum. Three or more affirmative votes are required for any
official action. Where a quorum is present, the independent redistricting
commission shall conduct business in meetings open to the public, with 48
or more hours public notice provided.
(13) A commissioner, during the commissioner's term of office and
for three years thereafter, shall be ineligible for Arizona public office
or for registration as a paid lobbyist.
(14) The independent redistricting commission shall establish
congressional and legislative districts. The commencement of the mapping
process for both the congressional and legislative districts shall be the
creation of districts of equal population in a grid-like pattern across
the state. Adjustments to the grid shall then be made as necessary to
accommodate the goals as set forth below:
A. Districts shall comply with the United States Constitution and
the United States voting rights act;
B. Congressional districts shall have equal population to the
extent practicable, and state legislative districts shall have equal
population to the extent practicable;
C. Districts shall be geographically compact and contiguous to the
extent practicable;
D. District boundaries shall respect communities of interest to the
extent practicable;
E. To the extent practicable, district lines shall use visible
geographic features, city, town and county boundaries, and undivided
census tracts;
F. To the extent practicable, competitive districts should be
favored where to do so would create no significant detriment to the other
goals.
(15) Party registration and voting history data shall be excluded
from the initial phase of the mapping process but may be used to test maps
for compliance with the above goals. The places of residence of incumbents
or candidates shall not be identified or considered.
(16) The independent redistricting commission shall advertise a
draft map of congressional districts and a draft map of legislative
districts to the public for comment, which comment shall be taken for at
least thirty days. Either or both bodies of the legislature may act within
this period to make recommendations to the independent redistricting
commission by memorial or by minority report, which recommendations shall
be considered by the independent redistricting commission. The independent
redistricting commission shall then establish final district boundaries.
(17) The provisions regarding this section are self-executing. The
independent redistricting commission shall certify to the secretary of
state the establishment of congressional and legislative districts.
(18) Upon approval of this amendment, the department of
administration or its successor shall make adequate office space available
for the independent redistricting commission. The treasurer of the state
shall make $6,000,000 available for the work of the independent
redistricting commission pursuant to the year 2000 census. Unused monies
shall be returned to the state's general fund. In years ending in eight or
nine after the year 2001, the department of administration or its
successor shall submit to the legislature a recommendation for an
appropriation for adequate redistricting expenses and shall make available
adequate office space for the operation of the independent redistricting
commission. The legislature shall make the necessary appropriations by a
majority vote.
(19) The independent redistricting commission, with fiscal
oversight from the department of administration or its successor, shall
have procurement and contracting authority and may hire staff and
consultants for the purposes of this section, including legal
representation.
(20) The independent redistricting commission shall have standing
in legal actions regarding the redistricting plan and the adequacy of
resources provided for the operation of the independent redistricting
commission. The independent redistricting commission shall have sole
authority to determine whether the Arizona attorney general or counsel
hired or selected by the independent redistricting commission shall
represent the people of Arizona in the legal defense of a redistricting
plan.
(21) Members of the independent redistricting commission are
eligible for reimbursement of expenses pursuant to law, and a member's
residence is deemed to be the member's post of duty for purposes of
reimbursement of expenses.
(22) Employees of the department of administration or its successor
shall not influence or attempt to influence the district-mapping decisions
of the independent redistricting commission.
(23) Each commissioner's duties established by this section expire
upon the appointment of the first member of the next redistricting
commission. The independent redistricting commission shall not meet or
incur expenses after the redistricting plan is completed, except if
litigation or any government approval of the plan is pending, or to revise
districts if required by court decisions or if the number of congressional
or legislative districts is changed.