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Redistricting: In search of Fair and Competitive Maps! The final date to submit testimony to the Independent Redistricting Committee is tomorrow – Saturday, December 4. To submit a comment go to this link Our primary critique of the draft maps is that they are not competitive. Prop 106 created the Independent Redistricting Commission to make competitive maps. The proposed legislative draft maps move the previously competitive LD 6 and replace it with the new non-competitive LD 7 which splits Sedona and Flagstaff up and separates them from each other. This results in three non-competitive districts in Northern Arizona with vote spreads of 28.5% Republican and 29.8% Republican in proposed districts 5 and 7. The new LD 6 which packs the city of Flagstaff with the Navajo Nation has a 42.4% Democratic vote spread.  Alternative legislative maps were submitted but they have not been considered by the IRC. In these proposed maps, named LDF 050 and LDF 051, Flagstaff, Sedona and the Verde Valley are kept together in a triangle-shaped district that runs along the Mogollon Rim and the Navajo Nation retains Navajo and Apache County. Both of these maps better meet the criteria of compactness and contiguousness and the LDF 050 map is competitive and the LDF 051 respects the Voting Rights Act requirements.  LDF 050 Above LDF 051 Above The IRC could consider the LDF 050 and LDF 051 maps instead of the Proposed draft maps because of competitiveness, contiguousness and compactness. The current CD 4 congressional map shown below is on the left in red. The proposed new CD 2 map on the right is in green. This congressional map places Prescott in a congressional district with the Navajo Nation and dilutes the power of the indigenous vote. The proposed new map is outside the boundary of competitiveness as defined by the IRC.  The Navajo Nation’s Human Rights Commission proposed a map, CDF 010 – see below in blue. This map would be competitive and is also more compact and contiguous than the current proposed map. It would be the most competitive congressional district in the state.  To advocate for LDF 050, 051 and CDF 010 is to advocate for competitive districts that are more compact and contiguous than the current proposals. When you write to the Independent Redistricting Commission, be sure to reference the map numbers and give your reasons in your own words. Many of you have shown up at the Redistricting hearings, giving your considered testimony. Many of you have contributed to comments to the IRC during their meetings. Now is the time to give your attention to the final days of comment – you can do it HERE! NOW! The final decision meetings of the IRC start on Monday, December 6. No times have been posted, nor have the manner in which the maps will be discussed been released. If you are interested, check back on their website. Thank you for your assistance. We can do it TOGETHER! John Lutes YCDP Chair |
