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In a blow to Arizona Republicans and Gov. Jan Brewer, the state Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated the chair of the Independent Redistricting Commission, ousted after Brewer triggered a state Senate vote to remove her earlier this month.
Brewer convened a special session of the state Senate earlier on Nov. 1 in order to impeach chairwoman Colleen Mathis, charging that the commission, under her leadership, engaged in "gross misconduct" by producing a map that gave Democrats a chance to pick up seats in next year's congressional elections. The Republican-controlled Senate passed Brewer's motion.
But Mathis and the Commission appealed and the state's high court ruled in their favor on Thursday.
Brewer failed to "demonstrate 'substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, or inability to discharge the duties of office' by the intervenor Mathis, as required under Article 4, Part 2, Section 1(10) of the Arizona Constitution," the state justices said in their ruling. "Therefore, the Court grants the relief requested by the intervenor Mathis and orders that she be reinstated as chair of the Independent Redistricting Commission."
What happens next isn't yet clear. According to the Arizona Republic[/i], Brewer's spokesman said that Brewer "strongly disagrees with the decision" and added that the court's order potentially leaves the door open for the governor to return with a more specific reasons for removal. The paper reported that Commission representatives said they need to talk to the five commissioners and figure out the next move.
http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/11/arizona-court-r.php
