After Gov. Jan Brewer’s Oct. 26 letter cited “grave concerns” regarding “gross misconduct” the chairwoman of Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC), Colleen Coyle Mathis, has been removed from her position by a Senate vote of 21 – 6. Three Democrats were absent from the unprecedented vote, which went along party lines.
At the time, Brewer also addressed her concerns in this letter to the entire commission.
Now, with Brewer in New York, it was Secretary of State Ken Bennett, serving as Acting Governor, who issued the special session call at her request last evening. After the vote, Bennett alerted Mathis to the fact that she was being removed based on “substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office or an inability to discharge the duties of office” His letter to Mathis can be read here.
Arizona’s Constitution provides for the actions that were taken. Proposition 106, the 2000 ballot measure that created the IRC, grants authority to the governor and allows for the state Senate to remove commissioners with a two-thirds vote
This action moves the redistricting process into an area of uncertainty as congressional and legislative campaigns move forward with ambiguous boundaries.
This action will resonate nationally. Colleen Mathis is a discredit to the redistricting process and will stand as an example of overreaches by the left. The maps which the AZ IRC released are preposterous. Calling this commission Independent would be laughable if the consequences of their actions were not so serious.
Well said, Orion.
Randy Parraz of the Pearce Recall fame was testifying against the firing of Mathis yesterday at the legislative IRC committee. (Parraz is paid $118K a year by unions to be a rabble rouser and class warfare warrior-they say community organizer).
Always thought there was a connection between the timing of the Pearce recall and the final release of the new maps.
Check out Gilbert Watch’s connections between the BIG LEFT money from Colorado in Lewis campaign and then read the book “Blueprint”. This same PAC has moved from Colorado to Arizona and we are the next TakeOver.
Thanks for this information, Don. I was unaware of this connection. It makes perfect sense. There is an undermining of our entire system underfoot. Witness (as you point out) this needless recall of our AZ Senate President Russell Pearce in advance of a regularly scheduled election. Ditto the supposed anti-Wall Street protests that are, in actuality, Marxist rallies filled with mostly mindless students who have no knowledge of history thanks to the leftist teachers who make up the majority of the NEA’s national teacher’s union and their state affiliates. This is a well constructed plan to socialize America through by dumbing down our children. The drug-addled hippies of the 60′s are back again with a vengeance. But this time their drug is the Marxism they have been propagandized with since the earliest grades. Busy parents need to realize we won’t get a second chance. You can’t be too busy for your own children and the continuation of our democracy. It’s past time to rethink your priorities.
Mathis was as “Independent” as my son’s pet chameleon. They are both able to alter their appearance in order to strike without showing their true colors. Fortunately Mathis was unable to continue her deception against Arizona’s voters. We owe Gov. Brewer a debt of gratitude and Ken Bennett, obviously a governor-in-training, is showing he is not reticent when facing a dire situation.
Ms. Mathis, along with her lawyer-husband Chris (WHO was treasurer to Carol Wright-Young’s failed LD26 bid) each gave $250 to an ‘up & coming’ community organizer LONG before he was even winning any primaries or caucuses, January 2008.
Not only is she a liar, she’s a complete fraud. But her appointment is only a symptom of the whole travesty of “Independent Redistricting”.
When you know the players promoting this fraud you realize the goal is to take the process out of accountable Legislators, who answer to the voters; and place it in the hands of UNaccountable, UNelected officials who have a very liberal agenda.
Here is a partial list of the ‘Players’: League of Women Voters, AARP, National Education Association, among others. I warned Senate President Pearce last February what I believe would take place in this process. I must confess that even I underestimated the extent liberals would go to pervert the process. The best thing we can do is demand the process be returned to the state officials most responsible and accountable to the voters: the Legislators! Not some group of nameless officials on the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments!
This should be on the ballot in 2012 or 2014. The rallying cry should be: “Legislators, Take Responsibility!”
Steve:
At least part of your information is incorrect and that unfortunately taints the rest, which may not be the case with those facts.
There was never a Carol Wright-Young running in District 26. The extraordinarily liberal Democrat was NANCY YOUNG-WRIGHT. She was appointed on January 19, 2008 to replace Lena Saradnik, who resigned due to a stroke.
Young-Wright was an SEIU union liaison and deserved to lose when she ran in 2008. Most interesting that of all the Arizona campaigns to become involved in, THIS was the one that Colleen Mathis’ husband sought out.
So I got the first name wrong… Sue me! LOL I usually confirm complete accuracy of my ‘alleged’ facts before making a post. I had just worked a 12 hour overnight shift and was very tired and headed to sleep. Obviously i was already asleep! Thank for the correction. But the full import of my statements are verified your excellent information.
This ‘lawyer’ may have been a ‘republican’, BUT he was NOT a conservative or an honest person, neither is his wife!
They should have removed the two Democrats as well since they are just as responsible as the former chairman for what they did as a commission. Republicans will regret that the governor and Republican senators did not have the foresight to remove the Democrat members as well.
They may have regarded that as a step too far. And after seeing what happened to Colleen Mathis, the Democrats should be more inclined to act responsibly. This is serious business — on all sides. We need to get in gear as campaigns are underway and candidates don’t know what their boundaries are.
They’ll get criticized whether they remove one or all three. They should have taken the slight amount of extra heat and really cleaned house. The Democrats will not be inclined to act more responsibly. They will only be “responsible” if an Independent is appointed who will follow the constitution and deprive them the opportunity to act irresponsibly.
Getting two new Democrat members might have encouraged the new commission members to act more responsbibly. The current Democrats have gotten away with ignoring their constitutional responsiblities so far. It looks like they will continue to do so because the governor and republican senators are too easily intimidated.
I think the other two Dems should have been removed too, but the Senate seemed to be feeling intimidated about bringing down a bigger firestorm. The left is calling on the DOJ to intervene on the grounds of voting rights infringement. This is now national news & local media is stirring up criticism.
It would be a mistake for conservative voters to sit back and let the legislature go this alone. It’s a good time to write-email support for honest redistricting.
You’re right Jane. POLITICO reported that the idiotic “Independent” Redistricting Committee actually went to court yesterday to stop the removal of Mathis after the State Senate removed her on an overwhelming 21-6 vote. Mathis didn’t even get the votes of 3 Democrats, who either abstained in protest or just couldn’t come to defend the illegal actions in which Mathis had participated. Since Mathis is no longer on the “I”RC, the “I”RC has no right to do anything to defend her work on the “I”RC going forward.
If the court intervenes on her behalf, the Maricopa County Court judge(s) would be greatly overstepping constitutional authority & would cause an Arizona constitutional crisis due to the court’s illegal overstepping of the State’s Constitutional separation of powers. The Governor & the Arizona State Senate followed the letter of the law to the T.
It was the “I”RC that has been caught breaking the law & ignoring its constitutional & legal responsibilities. It is time for the remaining commissioners to put up or shut up & start following the law. Hopefully, the new chair will take his or her responsibilities more seriously instead of just trying to push a liberal Democrat agenda statewide.
it proved too much a task to both; create a ‘safe’ district for Nappy’s buddy K Sinema AND keep the hispanics in their pockets. They had to pit several sitting republicans against each other which is contrary to the intent of the Voter Rights ACt.
Its about time the Republicans grew a spine and stood up to these bully Dimocrats. Now to get the House and Senate in DC to do the same, what a chore, what a chore.
Well Said ‘Maybe’! “Jonas Parker” (not his real name, due to threats to his safety) has fought diligently through this process of getting the governor and the legislature to stand up to the fraud of the so-called ‘Independent’ Redistricting Commission. I warned Russell Pearce about the potential and fears of this joke of a process last February. He now understands just what I warned him about!