Panel eyes rural changes in Ariz. redistricting map

02/23/2004

Associated Press

TEMPE -- It isn't just the state's two biggest urban areas that could see redrawing of legislative districts as state officials try to create additional districts winnable by either major party.

Hispanic Democrats whose lawsuit resulted in court-ordered redrawing of the state's legislative districts have urged the Independent Redistricting Commission to

concentrate on the Phoenix and Tucson areas while adding additional competitive districts.

As reviewed Sunday by the commission, the latest work-in-progress includes changes in rural areas of the state -- mostly in counties north and west of Phoenix -- in addition to the two major desert cities.

Mohave County 's population centers now are in one district but effectively would be split between two, with much of the Kingman area going into a district that crosses traverses northern Arizona to also take in the Navajo and Hopi Indian reservations some 200 miles to the east.

Elsewhere in Mohave County , Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City would be in the same district with Flagstaff , which no longer would be in the same district with the Navajo Reservation.

Yavapai County now dominates a single district -- and still would with the Verde Valley , Sedona and the Prescott area remaining together -- but some other parts of the county would go into the district that includes Flagstaff .

Fewer changes were being contemplated in the south and east.

Yuma and Pinal counties would continue to dominate one district each though changes are made in outlying areas. The Yuma-dominated district, for instance, would lose most of tiny La Paz County to a district that extends into Maricopa County .

Sierra Vista would continue to be in a Tucson-dominated district and other parts of Cochise County would remain in a district that also includes Nogales and western Pima County .

Eastern-central Arizona would continue to have its own district south of the district that includes the Navajo Reservation and north of the district that includes most of Cochise County .

A judge ordered the commission to redraw its map of legislative districts to create additional competitive districts.

Judge Kenneth Fields of Maricopa County Superior Court's ruling said the commission did not put enough emphasis on that goal, one of several mandated by voters in 2000 when they approved a constitutional amendment creating the commission.

The commission is doing that while appealing Fields' ruling to the Court of Appeals.

The commission began its latest map-drawing by ordering consultants to prepare maps that emphasize competitiveness and minority voting rights.

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On the Net:

Independent Redistricting Commission: http://www.azredistricting.or