A trial was held in Harris v Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission March 25-29. This is the case brought by Arizona Republicans that argues the Independent Redistricting Commission improperly favored Democrats over Republicans when it drew the legislative district boundaries, following the 2010 census.

The three judges are Richard Clifton, a 9th circuit judge appointed by President George W. Bush; Neil Wake, a U.S. District Court Judge also appointed by George W. Bush; and Roslyn Silver, a President Clinton appointee. Before Wake was a federal judge, he was an Arizona attorney who handled Republican Party redistricting cases after the 2000 census and also after the 1990 census. Here is a story about the trial. The main issue is whether population deviations in the size of the districts are unconstitutionally large, or whether the deviations were for the legitimate purpose of helping to conform the maps to the Voting Rights Act. A side issue is whether the Commission’s procedures were fair.

The post-trial briefs are due April 10. Meanwhile, there is also an Arizona federal case over whether a state violates the U.S. Constitution when it lets redistricting commissions, instead of the legislature itself, draw U.S. House district boundaries. Last summer, the Arizona Redistricting Commission asked Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt to dismiss the case, and a decision could come out at any time. That case is Arizona State Legislature v Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, 2:12-cv-1211.

On March 19, the Ninth Circuit determined that it will hear Raymond v Fenumiai, 13-35090. The Ninth Circuit determined the case is not appropriate for mediation. The issue is Alaska’s ban on out-of-state circulators for initiative petitions. The U.S. District Court, on February 8, 2013, had held that the plaintiff, Robert Raymond, lacks standing. He is a professional petitioner who complained that he would work in Alaska, except that because he is not a resident of Alaska, he can’t. The U.S. District Court said because he didn’t specify any particular initiative that he wants to work on, his complaint is too vague to be viable. Alaska says it will enforce the requirement, but the only penalty is that any signatures he collects will be invalid. Raymond will argue in the 9th circuit that he does have standing.

Cases challenging residency requirements for circulators are pending in Alaska, California, and Virginia. A potential lawsuit in Maine has probably been averted. Portland, Maine, won’t let non-residents circulate, but various Maine Greens, some of whom don’t live in Portland, desire to circulate a city initiative petition. It seems likely that the city will soon repeal the circulator residency requirement.

The upcoming South Carolina special U.S. House race, 1st district, has three candidates on the ballot. Eugene Platt, the Green Party nominee, is covered in this fairly lengthy story in Whiteout Press. The story has some interesting points about the two major party candidates, and about the mass media.