Republican legislative leaders want to dramatically overhaul the independent commission that draws congressional and legislative maps every decade.
Senate President Steve Yarbrough told the Senate Government Committee Wednesday that his goal is to make the process less partisan. He pointed to commissions in 2001 and 2011 that he said were essentially controlled by the one independent.
Joel Edman of the Arizona Advocacy Network called Yarbrough's plan "a recipe for partisan gridlock." That's because if the GOP-controlled Legislature doesn't like the commission's map it can ask voters to approve its own version.
Yarbrough wants the panel expanded from five to eight members. All would be appointed by the Legislature, unlike the current process.
If approved by the Legislature, voters would weigh in on the changes in November.
