House Speaker Andy Tobin – You’re Fired!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

There are only two words that House Speaker Andy Tobin's colleagues should have for him: "You're Fired!"

Tobin's tyranny against the Arizona Independent Redistricitng Commission (AIRC) continues to be an all-consuming obsession for him, like Captain Queeg and his strawberries in the Caine Mutiny. It's time for a mutiny of the Arizona legislature.

The Arizona Republic reports that Captain Queeg Arizona House Speaker wants June special election on redistricting:

House Speaker Andy Tobin said he's eying a June special election as his chance to put alternative redistricting maps before voters. [drawn by him and House aide John Mills, in secret without any public input]

The June 12 election to select a replacement for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is the next available election date, now that Tobin's plans for a May 15 special election have evaporated.

* * *

[Tobin had] proposed a May 15 special election. But Wednesday was the deadline for elections officials to stage a statewide special election. And Tobin has done nothing to advance his proposal, which would need to pass the Legislature.

However, he hasn't give up hope.

"We always find ways," he said. [That sounds ominously like a threat to abuse of power]

Although the deadline to give all bills their first committee airing is this week, a striker is always possible.

Putting the redistricting maps on the June 12 ballot would come at a cost, however, and could add to confusion as candidates try to figure out in which district they should run.

It would cost about $6.4million to expand the special election for southeastern Arizona's Congressional District 8 to a statewide election, according to a rough estimate from the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.

And it would fall after the May 30 deadline for candidates to file their nominating petitions for the late-summer primary election.

It would also have to be reviewed by the Department of Justice for Voting Rights Act pre-clearance.

These factors should doom any hopes of success, but this is Arizona after all where insanity governs.

Relieving Captain Queeg of his command would be a good place to start to right the ship.