Public Comments

Hello Commissioners - To consider the 11th hour legislative maps, or components of those maps, submitted by Mr. Mario Carrera is to repeat the very worst of the failed legislative reapportionment process of 2011. The 2011 process — with its midnight partisan gerrymander — was carried out by Mr. Carrera, who was then Chairman of the Reapportionment Commission. Early in the process of the Independent Congressional Redistricting process, the Colorado Democratic Party blasted the Commission and Commission staff by publicly accusing them, without merit, of “putting a thumb on the scale for Republicans…” Last week, the Colorado Democratic Party publicly targeted two Republican members of the Independent Legislative Commission. Colorado Democrats have attacked the citizen redistricting process because many in their party view this citizen process as an attack on their political power. One prominent Democrat has bemoaned the fact that Democrats supported redistricting reform, culminating his thoughts with a statement that “we’re (expletive) idiots!” for diluting their perceived political power by letting apolitical Coloradans draw redistricted maps. In each of these cases, I have kept quiet and not responded in kind for two reasons. First, I did not think it was my place to use my political platform to try and bully the Commissions from the outside. Second, both the congressional and legislative processes seemed to be moving forward with Republicans, Unaffiliateds, and Democrats working together in public forums to address the needs of Colorado’s citizens. The submission of partisan maps by 2011 State Reapportionment Chairman, Mario Carrera, has caused me to draft and submit this public comment. In 2011, Mario Carrera introduced and passed (on a partisan vote) maps at the very last minute that had not been shared with the public or even other members of the Commission until just hours before he called for a final vote. In fact, Mr. Carrera’s actions on the 2011 Commission are why the “72-hour” rule and public drawing of maps are now in our state Constitution. Equally important to note is that Mr. Carrera’s map ultimately resulted in Colorado having the most partisan and Democrat gerrymandered State House map in the country, according to Daily Kos data. Here we are 10 years later. Mr. Carrera has — again — introduced partisan maps at the very last minute, attempting to enact the same midnight gerrymander he did in 2011. Only this time, he isn’t chairman, and he doesn’t have a vote. You do. He wants you to forget about the carefully crafted communities of interest that Commissioners have been developing during public sessions over the last month. He wants you to ignore the many public discussions you have had related to communities of interest and cross-referencing political subdivisions. Mr. Carrera’s maps do nothing but play to powerful special interests in the Democratic Party. He is once again doing his part to help Colorado Democrats. He wants to repeat his successful Democratic Party gerrymander from 2011. Just one example in this proposal is the partisan split of the City of Thornton, which would create a new and open Democrat Senate district. Moreover, this unnecessary decision goes against the Colorado constitutional provision which aims to keep communities and political subdivisions whole, except in cases when that can't be accomplished. There is absolutely no reason to split Thornton, except for the sole purpose of creating a new Democratic district with no incumbent. Isn’t it odd that his map splits Thornton as most recent Senate maps have attempted to keep Thornton whole? The House map is just as partisan as the last-minute map he introduced 10 years ago. While Mr. Carrera might be registered as Unaffiliated, his history of political donations tells a much different story. Mr. Carrera donated thousands of dollars to notable Colorado and national Democrats. Colorado Democratic Chairwoman Morgan Carroll, President Obama, Congressman Neguse, Senator Bennet, Governor Polis, former Senator Udall, Congressman Crow, Senator Hickenlooper, and the Colorado Democratic Party are just a few examples of who Mr. Carrera has stepped up to donate to in recent years. Needless to say, he is not the non-partisan, concerned citizen he has historically masqueraded as. When things moved against Republicans during this redistricting process, I chose to pass on attacking the Commissions and the Commissions’ process even as I watched Colorado Democrats launch their own attacks. I have not, and will not, target Commissioners as the Colorado Democrats have done. On the Carrera maps, I cannot remain silent. The Coloradans I represent deserve that their voices be heard on this matter. I would caution the Commission to not make the same mistake that was made 10 years ago. That mistake — a gerrymander for the Democrats shoved through at the last minute — undermined Coloradans’ faith in the redistricting process and ultimately led to Amendments Y and Z being proposed and overwhelmingly passed by the voters. I have a lot of faith in this new independent process and I hope you will all consider how the Carrera map is an overt, yet disguised, attempt to play partisan politics and once again put a hand on the scale in favor of Colorado Democrats. Thank you for your hard work throughout this process. The people of Colorado are indebted to you all for stepping up to serve our state. Kristi Burton Brown Chairwoman | Colorado Republican Party

I am a resident of Grand county, we are ranchers struggling to keep our heritage and western values, our roads are disintegrated, our properties re being taken over by an influx of wealthy corporations. We beg you to not throw us into the front range urban district and have no voice On our lifestyle and lose all our livelihoods to their socialist beliefs, please keep what is left of rural western Colorado and our district to the west

I am so grateful that the non-partisan redistricting committee held the series of town halls. I was at one of them in Durango. While the map that I was in favor of was not adopted, significant changes to the original map was adopted and approved. You all listened! The committee and staff worked very hard to make the map fair. Now Republican Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitzeject are proposing last minute changes to the map created by non-partisan staff that favor Republican control. I reject this map and support the map drawn by non-partisan staff. This entire process would be nullified by these two commissioners that the people of this state voted for in 2018 if they are allowed to submit their version to the court at the last minute.

Greetings, I live in Ridgway Co and would like to make a comment about redistricting. I support maps drawn in nonpartisan ways, that reflect areas of the state, and do not favor one party or another. Please reject efforts by commissioners to create districts that favor their party, and support maps drawn by nonpartisan and fair committees. Thank you, Shawn McKearnan

I have been proud of the fact that Colorado is a State with a non-partisan Commission for redistricting. The idea is to have the Commission work in a bipartisan and fair way. I strongly oppose the attempts by commissioners Barnett and Kottwith to Gerrymander the map. If the republican party has problems winning elections in a purple state they can come up with poicies that are supported by the people instead of cheating to win

Please reject maps by commissioners Barnett and Kettwitz and support maps drawn by nonpartisan staff. I urge you to take a stand for transparency.

I support and am still hopeful for the adoption of the 3rd Staff Plan for Legislative Maps for the Colorado Assembly Senate and House. I urge you to reject maps being pushed by Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz and to support maps drawn by nonpartisan staff such as the 3rd Staff Legislative Map Plan.. You must reject any maps that could be tarnished by the ongoing, unreported lobbying to gerrymander our legislative district. Thank you.

I understand the redistricting committee has developed a nonpartisan proposed map for Colorado House & Senate that is balanced and fair. I also am aware that Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz are lobbying for a map that will ensure Republican domination in the state assembly. Please reject any gerrymandering by these two commissioners that will undermine the nonpartisan map.

What happened to a non political solution?

I am writing to encourage you to continue your process for a transparent, nonpartisan designation of districts, both legislative and congressional. Please, please, please resist the pressure being exerted by Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz to gerrymander legislative districts for the GOP. You represent the voters of this state who chose to pursue a non-partisan revamping of legislative and congressional districts. The aim is to enfranchise ALL voters to have an equal say in the policies and representatives that govern us. Your responsibility is to insure that outcome, and the best way to do that is to support maps drawn by nonpartisan staff. Resist the pressure to go back to the old ways of doing things where the party in power, or the party with the most leverage, was able to gerrymander maps to over-represent one side or the other. I look forward to the future where each Coloradoan has an equal opportunity to influence our policies. Per your request, I would define my "community of interest" to be defined by the fact that I am an educated woman who lives in a rural resort area who cares about the quality of life (environmental as well as social) for each of us. As a naturalized citizen, I am particularly sensitive to the promises of our democracy, including that each individual has a right and responsibility to be heard through the political process. Thank you for fighting for democracy and its values!