Ultimate goal
is to undermine the IRC and ensure Republican control
STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Senator Martin Quezada released the following statement on Governor
Ducey's sudden setting of a short deadline for applicants to the Commission on Appellate Court
Appointments:
Background: The Commission on Appellate Court
Appointments is one of three Arizona judicial nominating commissions and deals
with appointments to Arizona's appellate courts, which include the Arizona
Supreme Court. Commission members evaluate applicants for vacant judicial
positions and then submit a list of candidates from which the governor makes
his decision. The Commission also chooses the candidates available for
selection by elected officials to the Independent Redistricting Commission,
which determines Arizona's congressional and legislative districts every ten
years.
The Arizona Constitution states: "In
making or confirming appointments to the appellate court commission, the
governor, the senate and the state bar shall endeavor to see that the
commission reflects the diversity of Arizona's population."
- Currently Arizona has slightly more women than men, yet only four out of 15 current Commission members are women.
- Arizona is split in thirds by party registration – Republican, Democratic and Independent – yet there is not a single Democrat on the Commission.
- 55% of Arizona citizens identify as White, 32% Hispanic, 5% American Indian, 5% Black and 3.5% Asian, yet there is just one person of color serving on the commission.
- One Republican state senator complained that Governor Napolitano only appointed Democrats to this commission but that is false. She appointed seven Republicans to the commission.
"This blatantly absurd deadline is Governor Ducey's latest move to
undermine Arizona's voter-approved Independent Redistricting Commission so
districts can be drawn to concentrate Republican control of the legislature and
our congressional seats," said Senator Quezada. "We've already seen
him unconstitutionally stack the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments with
appointees who do not reflect the ethnic and political diversity of our state,
as is required by the Arizona Constitution. By announcing a deadline the week
before the holidays with a due date immediately after the new year, Governor
Ducey has ensured that only applicants with advance knowledge of the due date
will be able to prepare and submit their applications."
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