Arizona lawmakers again push for split of 9th Circuit Court

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 12th Circuit with Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Washington while leaving California, Hawaii and Oregon plus Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the 9th Circuit.

A House version previously introduced by Reps. Andy Biggs and four other Arizona Republican representatives would leave Washington in the 9th Circuit.

Flake says the 9th 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 9th Circuit.

Previous proposals to divide the 9th Circuit have failed.