-By Steve Muratore
June 15, 2013- Less than 24 hours after the Arizona Legislature passed HB2305, sending it to Gov. Brewer for her signature, former state Assistant Attorney General Vince Rabago filed a 53-page complaint with the Chief, Civil Rights Division, US Department of Justice alleging specific instances of voter suppression from the 2012 general election in Maricopa, Pima and Yuma counties in Arizona.
Rabago's complaint includes affidavits from persons who received robocalls in Spanish with false information about last fall's election; affidavits from a Latino candidate for sheriff in Yuma County, his wife and another relative, detailing troublesome elections practices and officials; copies of the Congressional Record from confirmation hearings for former Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist detailing his participation in voter suppression activities in Arizona prior to being appointed to the court; news reports from last fall of Maricopa County elections officials having released Spanish language documents citing an incorrect date for the general election and other dubious elections practices; and news reports about efforts earlier in the regular legislative session to pass voter suppression legislation.
Of course, as some observers suspected, a highly contentious bill — HB2305 — was amended in a conference committee and passed at the eleventh hour, shortly before the session adjourned sine die.
