Public Comments

Woodland Park, Florissant and Divide are closely tied to the area of Colorado Springs. We enjoy of somewhat symbiotic relationship. The largest percentage of our economic and general commerce activity occurs in El Paso County. We drive up and down the hill with regularity. We have little to do from a day-to-day perspective with areas to the east of Teller County. Thank you.

Dear Members of the Colorado Independent Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Commissions: Thank you for your service to Colorado. We understand and appreciate the incredible personal sacrifice each of you have made in your positions on the inaugural redistricting commissions. You are a model of success for future commissions. We write to you in our personal role as Latino clergymen and women to urge your commissions to draw as many highly political competitive Hispanic influence congressional and legislative districts as possible. We understand and acknowledge that many ethnic neighborhoods, such as in Denver or southwest Adams County, are largely politically monolithic and therefore not conducive to two-party competition. However, in many areas of Colorado, such as northern Adams County, Weld County, Pueblo County or El Paso County, Hispanic voters are increasingly receptive to two-party competition. We welcome it. Districts that force both political parties to compete for the vote of the Hispanic population are good for Colorado’s growing Hispanic community, are good for Colorado, and are good for both political parties. The days in which one political party could take the vote of the Hispanic community for granted while the other could largely ignore our vote are over. Please help us keep those days in the rear view mirror by creating competitive districts that promote competition for the votes of the Hispanic community. We are not promoting specific maps; rather, we beseech your commissions to make our community’s vote politically relevant. Creating competitive districts with concentrations of Hispanic voters is one way to help facilitate our goal. We urge you to map accordingly. Thank you so much for your consideration. Regards, Renata Miwszuk 720-490-9109

Please see the attachment.

I believe the preliminary map is very fair. I live in Southern Jefferson County. South Jeffco is a very residential area. It is non incorporated. This is a suburban area with lots of home ownership. People who live here are settled and want to raise families. We are very similar to Douglas County, Evergreen and Conifer. Our income level is very similar. All these areas average income is $109,000 - $120,000. These areas are very child oriented. Raising honest, hard working children in a safe environment s a top priority. Regarding school districts, I believe Jeffco already has 3. School districts and Congressional districts are 2 separate issues. School districts are a local issue.

Dear Members of the Colorado Independent Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Commissions: Thank you for your service to Colorado. We understand and appreciate the incredible personal sacrifice each of you have made in your positions on the inaugural redistricting commissions. You are a model of success for future commissions. We write to you in our personal role as Latino clergymen and women to urge your commissions to draw as many highly political competitive Hispanic influence congressional and legislative districts as possible. We understand and acknowledge that many ethnic neighborhoods, such as in Denver or southwest Adams County, are largely politically monolithic and therefore not conducive to two-party competition. However, in many areas of Colorado, such as northern Adams County, Weld County, Pueblo County or El Paso County, Hispanic voters are increasingly receptive to two-party competition. We welcome it. Districts that force both political parties to compete for the vote of the Hispanic population are good for Colorado’s growing Hispanic community, are good for Colorado, and are good for both political parties. The days in which one political party could take the vote of the Hispanic community for granted while the other could largely ignore our vote are over. Please help us keep those days in the rear view mirror by creating competitive districts that promote competition for the votes of the Hispanic community. We are not promoting specific maps; rather, we beseech your commissions to make our community’s vote politically relevant. Creating competitive districts with concentrations of Hispanic voters is one way to help facilitate our goal. We urge you to map accordingly. Thank you so much for your consideration. Regards,

Two comments on drawing the maps for the State House: 1. Fort Collins' population is about 170,000 of the 5.8 million Coloradans. Since there are 65 House seats to be allocated, the population target is 89,231 per district. So, it appears that Fort Collins ought to be able to keep its current two representatives. I believe that's important. Larimer County's population is about 352,000, indicating that there should be no more than four reps. Loveland and Berthoud should be the basis for one of them, and the fourth should encompass the rest of the County. If additional pops are required, please look east to Windsor. It may be tempting to look to Grand County or Jackson County, but they have little in common with Fort Collins and Loveland. 2. For the State Senate, again, it appears that Larimer County can support two Senate districts, one centered in Fort Collins and the other encompassing the rest of the County. But, again, there will be a population that needs to be in another district, and again, the best place is to look east to Windsor, which has a community of interest with Loveland and Fort Collins. Would you mind not looking west to Grand or Jackson Counties?

I would like to start by thanking the commissions for their commitment to this new redistricting process. This is a huge undertaking and your commitment to the entire process is inspiring. Thank you for wanting to create fair maps for the entire state. As the Sheriff of Otero County, I would like to offer some comments on all three maps. First, Congressionally it was great to see the rural parts of Colorado honored and represented well in the preliminary map that created two nearly entire rural Congressional districts. The western slope has long been a community of interest. It is important that they are united in their congressional district. The eastern plains and southern Colorado are united by agriculture and the challenges that come with living in those rural communities. Thank you for honoring our rural way of life and uniting the rural parts of our state. Please do not change the map and combine rural Colorado with any of the front range and metro areas of our state. Next, the state senate map is a large change from the current configuration. There have been presentations from the Pueblo area stating that Pueblo County could be a state senate district. If you were to create a Pueblo County State Senate district it would be a competitive seat that could focus entirely on the needs of Pueblo County. That change leads the way to create a southern Colorado state senate district similar to the current SD35 that could include Fremont County. The counties in southeast Colorado and southern Colorado have many uniting factors that lend themselves to being a community of interest. Agriculture is the first factor that comes to mind, followed by challenges that we face living in rural communities. Our challenges are vastly different from those of large cities. Finally, the State House preliminary map splits Otero County. There have been several amendments presented to solve the splitting of my county, I would like to encourage the commissions to keep Otero County whole in the house configuration. Please do not make Otero County obsolete in two house districts, instead, keep Otero County whole in the southeastern Colorado house district (currently labeled HD40). Thank you again for your commitment to the redistricting process. Shawn Mobley Otero County Sheriff

My name is Nina Waters, a resident of Silverthorne, Colorado currently in Congressional district 2. I want to first take a moment and thank the commission for their work so far. I’m sure that this is thankless work, and I truly believe that you are aiming to serve Coloradans equally, and transparently. I do hope to see more of these hearings to be shared amongst more community members, as I know it can be hard to reach all coloradan’s but that does not mean that there interest should not be heard. I would like to address one of my concerns in regards to the most recent draft of congressional districts. This map will lump my county in with counties that do not have share similar interest when it comes to essential services such as health care, water, transportation, and climate change In addition, my largest concern is the commissions focus largely on attempting to make these districts “competitive.” By focusing on this standard the new map will alter districts in ways that are detrimental to particularly — community of color. Myself, being a member of the Latinx and BIPOC community I am concerned that we will now become victims of what is known as “packing and cracking.” By “packing” these BIPOC community members that will now into a minority in one district, and then “crack” or break us up in another. We will essentially become silenced, and our votes and interest will be stifled. This is incredibly concerning and I personally believe that the commissioners should share a focus on making sure that these communities are represented appropriately. 1st most in the state 5th most in the country

Briefly, I have lived in Broomfield and CO for 39 yrs. In that time, I've lived in two houses, two intact districts. It's hard enough for many citizens to learn what ward they live in, esp since these are changed every 10 yrs. Please DO NOT add to our confusion by spliting us into separate congressional districts. Broomfield is not so big that there's any reason to split our county. Keep us intact with the surrounding communities of somewhat like-minded people, as we have been for many years.

Redistricting- Elizabet Garcia Hernandez My name is Elizabet Garcia Hernandez. I was born and raised here in Greeley, Colorado. My family has grown up and lived in Greeley for as long as I can remember. My siblings and I attended school district 6. I graduated from Northridge High school in 2016. Redistricting is something that will affect my community greatly, and one of the main reasons I am here today. The maps that are currently drawn do not reflect my community. With the continual growth that Greeley has experienced in the last couple years it seems fit that Greeley be placed in the new 8th congressional district. We unite the populations of Weld, Adams and North Denver to ensure a genuine district in our state.. The battle in making sure that these maps represent our community and making sure that we are able to have the proper representation for said district. It was brought up what communities of interest represent in Greeley as many have mentioned this means Employee rights, employments, trade, school and education, public health, agriculture and COVID. It’s important that federal action is taken on these issues and it's critical having a federal representative who can fight to help the latino community here. The only way I can see that happening is by making sure that the 8th congressional district hold Greeley in it. Parts of Greeley have a population with very different interests than those in the 4th congressional district and have little in common as it relates to federal legislation with the people of Pueblo and southern Colorado. As were talking about this proposed congressional 8th district, it would be beneficial to include Commerce City. Under the current map, Commerce City is divided into Congressional District 4 and Congressional District 8. The Commission should keep Commerce City whole in the 8th. Just like Greeley, this is a district that would relate to each other greatly. Commerce City is a diverse, urban growing City that should be with Thornton and Unincorporated Adams County (Welby/Berkeley). Splitting Commerce City makes it harder for to advocate to our federal representatives as one voice on railroads, transportation and environmental protection.The Oil and Gas corridor along I25 north of Denver between Adams and Weld creates a unique set of circumstances around energy production, air pollution, and a variety of federally regulated trades and environmental impacts. Commerce City is also the home of major oil and gas operations both in terms of hydraulic fracturing and the Suncor refinery making these ideal cities to host in Congressional district 8. The maps that have been submitted so far do not reflect any of these changes. I think it's time to make sure that our communities of interest be kept into consideration when re drawing these maps