Republican members of Arizona's congressional delegation are again trying to split up the federal appeals court whose nine-state territory includes Arizona.
A bill introduced Thursday by Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake would put Arizona in a new Twelfth Circuit with Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Washington while leaving California, Hawaii and Oregon -- plus Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands -- in the Ninth Circuit.
A House version previously introduced by Reps. Andy Biggs and four other Arizona Republican representatives would leave Washington in the Ninth Circuit.
Flake says the Ninth Circuit is "oversized and overworked" with 20 percent of the nation's population, while Biggs says a split would protect Arizona from "the burdensome and undue influence" of the Ninth Circuit.
Previous proposals to divide the Ninth Circuit have failed.
(by Associated Press)
