Public Comments

We are adding our comments to the Redistricting Committees task of drawing the lines for an 8th district to be added to the state of Colorado. We are STRONGLY in support of the suggested SOUTHERN COLORADO RIVER BASIN (SCRB) as a district. Our reasoning: -All of Southern Colorado, East to West, needs strong representation in the state, based on our similar, unique characteristics & concerns, and in a manner that no longer makes us feel like we are the "orphans or step-children" of the Denver & Northern Colorado areas. -The regions included in the proposed SCRB have commonalities in our histories, our cultures, & the sources of economy. -The shared 3 watersheds of this area, the Arkansas, San Juan & Rio Grande River, allow us to share the geography. As water becomes even MORE of an interest to us all, strong, involved representation, addressing water policy is needed to represent our needs. These 3 watersheds are a shared natural resource that impacts our daily lives, our agriculture, our tourism, our outdoor recreation, our economy & our culture. -The SCRB represents a very ethnic diverse population. There is a large blend of Hispanic/Latino & Native American population. The people of this area represent historically & culturally roots in Southern Colorado. Additionally, more and more people are moving to Southern Colorado seeking a life style different from the Mid & Northern part of Colorado. -We offer higher educational opportunities and a number of colleges in the suggested district -CSU-Pueblo, Adams State, Ft. Lewis College, Trinidad State College, PPC-Pueblo, and all of these institutions serve a diverse population of students from our communities. There is a need for more adequate masters level graduate programs, to provide a well trained work force & promotion for economic development. -Unfortunately, the communities & rural areas in proposed SCRB have some of the lowest incomes in Colorado, some of the lowest ranked tiers for income and benefits, and some of the states' highest numbers of families living poverty. This means that we all share a need for excellent representation to improve this situation, at both state & Federal level. We are desperate for a strong federal voice to address the needs specific to Southern Colorado. -Our hospital & medical services need strong representation. Folks in the proposed area often must drive distances for health care. These facilities need full support of a committed leader to these specific needs. - There is a major need for additional services for Veterans for both physical health care & mental health care. Presently these services for the entire proposed SCRB areas, must go all the way to Raton or Albuquerque, NM. All of Southern CO would benefit with leadership that could bring a VA hospital to this area of the state. This would be a tremendous assist to Vets in south El Paso County. -A very large part of SCRB area have poor high-speed internet. Denver and Northern Colorado do NOT share this problem. These communities & rural areas need HELP!! The need for improved broadband services is extreme. -Our transportation, needs, including rail & air, need continued work and support. Across proposed SCRB we are all in the same boat with needs for improvement. Please support The SCRB district as you finalize plans for the 8 Districts of Colorado. This plan would help unite the southern part of the state, hopefully with a strong voice advocating for our "special needs" - nothing like the communities to the far North, East, or West of the line of this suggested district. We deserve the same kind of concern, time and attention given to the more populous communities of Colorado. We are tired of being the orphan - step children!! Melissa & Richard Bonacquista

Members and Staff of the Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission - Via the link below, please find memoranda and attachments providing context and information about the Colorado Congressional redistricting plan submitted by the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization (CLLARO) for the commission's consideration. The memoranda will describe Congressional districts centered on communities of interest, with particular focus on Latino communities. CLLARO has prioritized two Congressional districts: CD3 and CD8. Additionally, CLLARO has drawn three Congressional districts to be competitive: CD2, CD3, and CD6. The full Congressional and previously submitted Legislative plans are available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1v_WS3anWIn25QYUf8hdg5cnHMj9Jf6FK?usp=sharing Here is a direct link to the map: https://davesredistricting.org/join/b1fa173e-7e00-4c77-a393-24a1c17f2b10 Thank you for your consideration. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Sincerely, Alex Apodaca-Cobell alex.apodaca.cobell@icloud.com c: 303-359-8226

Hello, my name is Joie Ha from Denver, CO. I am testifying today on behalf of the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) communities in Colorado as a whole. I have been working in activism and community organizing for AAPIs in Colorado for over 15 years. Currently, I run a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion firm called CORE: Community Organizing for Radical Empathy. I want to strongly encourage the commission to protect the AAPI community of interest. Statewide the AAPI community makes up 5% of the population in Colorado according to the recent 2020 Census. Because our population is not as numerous as other groups, it is vital that our communities are kept together to preserve our interests and ensure that our voices are being heard. Although we make up only 5% statewide, there are still ethnic enclaves across Colorado that see a large percentage of AAPIs. It is vital that these enclaves are kept within the same districts so that we can continue to advocate for ourselves. Historically, we can see why it is important that our populations are kept together. In 1992 after the LA uprisings and riots, the city of LA saw damages of over $1 billion, most of which was concentrated into the businesses operated by Koreans and other Asian immigrants in Koreatown. Unfortunately, Koreatown was split into four separate City Council districts and five State Assembly districts. Because of this, when it came to cleanup and recovery, elected officials all passed on responsibility because Asian Americans did not make up a ‘significant portion’ of their district. As you can tell, these district lines can be incredibly damaging for smaller communities of interest. As a result, we have attached several recommendations to the preliminary maps that cover the congressional, state house, and state senate maps to these comments. These recommendations are meant to keep our communities together and ensure that we have an opportunity to participate in our civic processes in an equitable way. Namely, we want to keep our communities in Aurora, Denver, and Colorado Springs together. We also want to protect our business districts like Little Saigon, the upcoming Korea Town, and Havana Business Improvement District. We also want to voice our support for CLLARO’s (Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy & Research Organization) maps as their lines often align with our recommendations save for a few instances. Furthermore, I want to ask the commission to consider expanding outreach to marginalized communities for public comment, and increasing the amount of public hearings after the revised maps are drawn. As staffers did not consider community of interests in the preliminary maps, and as the 2020 Census redistricting data was only released recently on August 12, this would allow more equitable input from marginalized groups. Thank you for your time.

Commissioners': Please review the following PDF documents entitled " Why Southern Colorado Deserves, Wants, and Needs our own Congressional District " and the Colorado Population Center PDF Document. We are sure you will agree with us as to the compelling reasons as to why the Southern portion of Colorado State must be represented in Congress as a whole district and not be places in districts that have no bearing to our geographical, common interests, cultural, or heritage backgrounds. We, as guaranteed by the United State Constitution, want our area to be represented in Congress with one of our peers, someone who will fight for us, and not people wo live over one-half the State away from us. Please review these pdf documents and you will find compelling reasons, undisputable fact, and a strong desire by the people of Southern Colorado to be united under one Congressional District. tio

As a Gilpin County resident for 23 years, I ask the Commission to keep us in CD2, i.e. keep us aligned with counties on the east side of the Continental Divide since that is where all of our services and Communities of Interest. As a small and tight nit community with only about 6200 residents we also want to stay a single unit in any redistricting process. Thank you! Eric Douglas 1327 Golden Gate Drive Golden, CO 80403

The commission needs to do more to give our Latino Coloradans representation in Congress. CD 1 and CD 2 should be modified so that a district gives representation to the metro areas Latino population. Please draw a map that considers not just county and geographic boundaries but the representation of the people who live in our state.

Gilpin County should remain aligned with the Front Range. There are 3 main reasons for this, first geographically Gilpin County is in the Front Range, it is located on the eastern side of the divide. Second, economically we are more tied to Jefferson, Boulder and Denver counties. Most Gilpinites commute to work in those counties. And, many of those who work in the casinos commute from other Front Range communities to Gilpin. We also shop and get medical care in Boulder, Jefferson, and Denver counties. And, it is people from other Front Range communities that that most frequent the casinos and shops here in Gilpin. They also use the trails and campsites in the State and National parks that are in Gilpin. And, third, because Gilpin county is largely made up of State and National park land and our outdoor lifestyle, we have a philosophy of stewardship regarding the mountains rather than a more economic view of the mountains. I hope you will consider Gilpin county's strong geographic, economic and philosophical ties to the Front Range when re-districting.

As a resident of Pueblo County, I strongly support the Southern Colorado River Basin proposal. It best represents shared interests, demographics, and geographical commonalities that allow our representatives to fight for our causes and to allow our voices, issues, and interests to be heard. Water, economy, transportation, immigration, employment, and demographics are all shared issues vital to this area. I've seen no other proposal that does so in a more comprehensive manner.

Thanks again to the Commission for the opportunity to present my thoughts and concerns regarding the redistricting of the Colorado federal Congressional districts. My name is Kurt Knoernschild, and I live with my wife in Longmont, which is my community of interest. When we were approaching retirement in 2016 in New York, we chose Longmont for several reasons: -it is a vibrant multiethnic and multicultural community, and celebrates diversity; -it offers many options of senior-living communities, with easy access to shopping and dining options; -it (as well as Boulder County) provides many senior programs and services; -it provides easy access to medical and other health services that we use; and -it offers good access to regional cultural and recreational attractions, from Longmont’s own County Fairgrounds to Denver’s Performing Arts Center to Rocky Mountain hikes and skiing. We are extremely happy with our choice, and expect to lead (after COVID) a very active and involved retirement, taking full advantage of the choices that we have because of living in Longmont. In April I had written that I felt that Longmont was significantly different from much of the rest of Congressional District 4, and proposed that it be included in a district that included other urbanized communities. I was pleased to see that in the staff proposal Longmont has been included in District 2; in my opinion, this would significantly improve the chances of my (and Longmont’s) issues and concerns being heard and acted upon by our elected Representative. I have also reviewed the proposed map of Common Cause of Colorado that would put Longmont in a Congressional district that spans the northern I-25 corridor, and I also feel that their proposal would give the people of Longmont (and me) fair representation. I know that the task you have agreed to is difficult, and I appreciate your willingness to honor the voters of Colorado who approved this new process. My thoughts and prayers will be with you as you now undertake the hard work of the next several months.

I believe that Colorado districts should remain as they are. No redistricting. We need diverse opinions in Colorado. The districts are set now with the current citizens in each area from rural to city. As every American citizen should be able to have the right to an opinion in voice and voting. We are a farming hub in Colorado providing certain foods for America. Hard working, compassionate communities with integrity and a true love for America and it’s freedoms.