Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/14pdf/13-1314_3ea4.pdf
Page Number: 12.0

8 

ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE v. ARIZONA 
INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMM’N
 
Opinion of the Court 

Several  other  States,  as  a  means  to  curtail  partisan
gerrymandering,  have  also  provided  for  the  participation 
of  commissions  in  redistricting.  Some  States,  in  common 
with  Arizona,  have  given  nonpartisan  or  bipartisan  com­
missions  binding  authority  over  redistricting.6   The  Cali­
fornia  Redistricting  Commission,  established  by  popular 
initiative, develops redistricting plans which can be halted 
by public referendum.7  Still other States have given com­
missions  an  auxiliary  role,  advising  the  legislatures  on 
redistricting,8  or  serving  as  a  “backup”  in  the  event  the 
State’s representative body fails to complete redistricting.9 
Studies  report  that  nonpartisan  and  bipartisan  commis­
sions  generally  draw  their  maps  in  a  timely  fashion  and
create  districts  both  more  competitive  and  more  likely  to 
survive legal challenge.  See Miller & Grofman, Redistrict­
ing  Commissions  in  the  Western  United  States,  3  U.  C. 
Irvine L. Rev. 637, 661, 663–664, 666 (2013). 

D 
On January 17, 2012, the AIRC approved final congres­
sional  and  state  legislative  maps  based  on  the  2010  cen­
sus.  See  Arizona  Independent  Redistricting,  Final  Maps, 

—————— 

the  majority  party  did  not  like,  the  Governor  of  Arizona  attempted  to
remove the Commission’s independent chair.  Her attempt was stopped 
by  the  Arizona  Supreme  Court.    See  Cain,  Redistricting  Commissions: 
A Better Political Buffer?  121 Yale L. J. 1808, 1835–1836 (2012) (citing 
Mathis  v.  Brewer,  No.  CV–11–0313–SA  (Ariz.  2011));  Arizona  Inde-
pendent Redistricting Comm’n v. Brewer, 229 Ariz. 347, 275 P. 3d 1267 
(2012). 

6 See  Haw.  Const.,  Art.  IV,  §2,  and  Haw.  Rev.  Stat.  §§25–1  to  25–9
(2009  and  2013  Cum.  Supp.);  Idaho  Const.,  Art.  III,  §2;  Mont.  Const., 
Art. V, §14; N. J. Const., Art. II, §2; Wash Const., Art. II, §43. 

7 See  Cal.  Const.,  Art.  XXI,  §2;  Cal.  Govt.  Code  Ann.  §§8251–8253.6

(West Supp. 2015). 

8 See  Iowa  Code  §§42.1–42.6  (2013);  Ohio  Rev.  Code  Ann.  §103.51

(Lexis 2014); Me. Const., Art. IV, pt. 3, §1–A. 

9 See Conn. Const., Art. III, §6; Ind. Code §3–3–2–2 (2014).