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Ducey Appoints 3 Democrats To Arizona Appeals Court Commission

By Scott Bourque, Mark Brodie
Published: Saturday, July 18, 2020 - 1:49pm
Updated: Monday, July 20, 2020 - 12:10pm

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Gov. Doug Ducey named three Democrats to the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments after months of complaints about a lack of Democratic influence on the commission.

According to the state constitution, the commission is required to reflect the diversity of the state — and Democrats had long argued that the Republican-heavy commission didn’t represent the population. 

The commission will indirectly oversee the state’s 2021 redistricting.

State Democratic Chairwoman Felecia Rotellini says these appointments are critical for a representative government in the coming decade.

Felicia Rotellini
Arizona Democratic Party
Felecia Rotellini

"What the independent redistricting commission does will be embedded in our political structure and impact our politics for the next 10 years," Rotellini said. "It’s really significant. We’re hoping that the folks that finally make it through this selection process will be fair and unbiased."

Ducey had left two of the seats vacant since last year. One of the seats has been unfilled since 2017.

The Show spoke with Jeremy Duda of the Arizona Mirror about the significance of Ducey's appointments.

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