Public Comments

I want to thank the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission on their hard work with the preliminary map. After reviewing the preliminary congressional map, I am writing to express my concern. No matter how you look at the results, one thing is clear: this map ultimately adds a congressional Republican seat to the State of Colorado. I consider myself a centrist and have voted a variety of ways in the past, and I am completely at a loss of how this independent redistricting process determined that it would ultimately be the Republican party that would gain a house seat. The congressional split before was 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans, and the new map now reflects essentially 4 Democratic seats and 4 Republican seats. While the new 8th congressional district represents a valuable and long overdue addition to the preliminary map, in other districts there are two significant problems that we must not overlook: - The 7th congressional district’s boundaries were redrawn to change it to a guaranteed conservative district by specifically removing groups of voters from Jefferson County and Adams County and adding voters from Douglas County. - The 3rd congressional district is now significantly LESS competitive – and by removing Pueblo and adding other smaller mountain towns that have little in common with the Western Slope, these changes also seem to arbitrarily make it more conservative and less reflective of the towns it will represent. These changes are in clear violation of the state’s constitution ensuring competitive districts, and it is just bad policy for democracy. We have seen the type of outrageous leaders that can come out of districts with little competition, and their current anti-democratic representative does NOT represent the values of many of her constituents and is, at minimum, not living up to the oath of defending the Constitution. We are at a dangerous place in our democracy, and these congressional maps are the last remaining guardrails that we cannot afford to get wrong. I voted for an independent commission in 2018 – and I was hopeful politics would be taken out of redistricting. I am still hopeful. I want to ensure that a fair and balanced process exists in which to redraw legislative maps. If the new congressional map does not reflect the true politics of Colorado, then I will say that I truly regret voting for the independent commission. We as a state are setting an example for how an independent commission can work, but the final maps MUST reflect the current politics of the state. The current politics of the state would necessitate the addition of a Democratic seat, NOT a redrawn guaranteed Republican seat in district 7 and a significantly less competitive district 3. Please consider the consequences of this map and the significance of each public comment. We have a moral obligation to keep our democracy alive and healthy, and updating this preliminary map is a concrete step we can take. If the map can be updated to reflect the current population of Colorado, that would go a long way in ensuring public faith in the redistricting commission. A final point: ultimately these maps are subjective, correct? That is why redistricting issues are so difficult to address. And while I understand soliciting comments about how these changes affect specific communities, there’s no completely objective way to draw the most fair of maps. In other words, comments can be picked and comments can be disregarded to support any type of change. However, we can ask this question: What IS objective? There is no disputing that Joe Biden won Colorado by over 12 percentage points in 2020. He won the state by the largest margin in decades. What IS objective is the fact that in this moment, when we have the most accurate indicator of where the state lies politically – and the most accurate data about the population change. Politics aside, it is the moral obligation of everyone on this committee to ensure the map reflects these truths. The people of Colorado are counting on you to get this right. Thank you again to the committee for your time and hard work.

The Middle Shooks Run Neighborhood, just Northwest of Downtown Colorado Springs should not be drawn in with the proposed HD-45, as the neighborhood identifies closer to, and shares more interests (such as infrastructure and transportation) with Downtown, the Near North End, and Old North End neighborhoods, all to the immediate West of MSRN. The proposed HD-45 groups MSRN in with a dramatically different area of Colorado Springs stretching all the way out into the uber suburbs out by Academy Blvd. and Powers Blvd. The neighborhood would be better split between HD-44 and HD-49 in the proposed map if the neighborhood could not be kept as one. However, if HD-44 and HD-45 could swap MSRN and the SE Colorado Springs neighborhoods just West of the Colorado Springs Airport, I think that would be a better fit for both neighborhood areas to keep similar areas of the City together. SE Colorado Springs has more in common with the other large suburbs out East and would be better represented by those who are more familiar with suburban neighborhoods, whereas the current HD-44, as proposed, is full of more urban and older neighborhoods which are very different from the relatively newer suburban developments our East.

I live in the retirement community of Wind Crest. The High Line Canal runs right thru this community. Using the canal for a dividing line for districts is a bad idea in our community's case. We are a community of nearly 2000 people. Our groups including political ones cover the entire community. Splitting this one community into two districts 23 and 33 is a ridiculous idea. We are an active community, working together with both parties being active. Please do not divide us into two districts. We will soon be large enough for our ptecinct.

I am a Colorado native who has lived in Routt County for over three decades. Routt County is a Western county that has and still does value our western heritage. We have much more in common with like minded counties such as Moffat, Rio Blanco and Garfield counties. Routt embodies the cowboy/ranching spirit, coal mining and gas and oil energies. We value our major river, the Yampa, and want to stay with West Slope counties to protect our water from the Front Range counties that seek to obtain it. Contrary to some opinions the City of Steamboat Springs is not "the county" but a small geographical area of a very large county. I urge this commission to keep us with other like minded counties.

I am currently in the 3rd Congressional district. The district is out of balance with respect to party affiliation and the communities it embraces. Ridgway should not be thrown in with Eastern Colorado urban areas that have different needs, goals and perspectives. I suggest that the third district be composed of counties of the Western Slope.

Attached please find the full, written version of my testimony from last night, including links to supplemental materials.

My husband and I moved from Ohio to Paonia (Delta County) Colorado in 2001 until I relocated in 2019 after he passed away. We had ample time to become acquainted with Delta, Mesa and Montrose counties, and to learn that Delta County is NOT at all like Montrose County. Delta County should not be split away from Mesa County.

My name is Jess Rosero and I am here tonight lifting up the voices of the members of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition. At CIRC, we fight for a more just and welcoming Colorado for all. We create the change we want to see by working in unity and building power to bring new leadership – immigrant leadership – to the work of building a better society for all. Our work for a more just Colorado is driven and led by immigrant leaders who decide the direction of our advocacy efforts, campaigns, and legal services. Through our programs and campaigns, our coalition continues to win key victories for immigrants in Colorado ensuring that every immigrant in our state has a voice in our fight for justice. The work that the Redistricting Commission is doing is essential to our members. We were dismayed to hear that a member of this Commission disregarded the important impact and value that immigrants bring to our state. I would like to paint a picture of the valuable contributions that immigrants provide in our state. Undocumented immigrants are a growing and important part of Colorado’s economy, and multiple industries depend on their labor. According to data produced by the Bell Policy Center in February of 2021, if 10% of undocumented immigrants left Colorado, the state would lose $23.8 million in federal taxes and $12.4 million in state and local taxes. They are strong contributors to our public systems and contribute to our economy in significant ways: More than 160,700 immigrants without documentation live in Colorado and collectively contribute to $156.5 million in state and local taxes and $272.8 million in federal taxes each year. Undocumented workers fill critical gaps in our labor force and make up 4% of Colorado’s workforce. Even when excluding the limited public services available to undocumented immigrants, their net annual impact on Colorado’s economy is more than $1 billion. Redistricting is based on the premise that there is equal representation for equal numbers of people. The redistricting process is not intended solely to protect the voting power of citizens. Non-U.S. citizens, as well as U.S. citizens not yet of voting age, should count for purposes of apportionment. Like other groups that are ineligible to vote (such as children), non-U.S. citizens get political representation. Non-U.S. citizens are “persons” under the Constitution and are entitled to protection under our laws. Non-U.S. citizens have many opportunities for civic participation, even though they cannot vote in most jurisdictions. They can participate in public hearings and government meetings and meet with their elected representatives. Elected officials have a duty to represent everyone in their district, not just the people who voted for them, are old enough to vote, or who are citizens. In addition, most non-citizens are or will become eligible to naturalize due to time as a lawful permanent resident. Participation in civic activity can be an important precursor to full and engaged participation once a noncitizen becomes a citizen through naturalization. I hope the Commission takes the time to learn more about our immigrant community and how they are only one piece of the Latino community that lives here in Colorado. I would like to conclude my testimony by urging you to fairly apportion our valuable immigrant population in the communities that they are such an important part of--where they live, work, worship and pay taxes. Thank you.

REVISIONS NEEDED TO CURRENT REDISTRICTING: - Restore representation to the West part of Denver - Preliminary map draws neighborhoods of color in with more affluent neighborhoods North Park Hill with Hilltop West Wash Park with Valverde Sunnyside with the Highlands - Need clear BIPOC voices in Denver to move HD8 back up to reunite Five Points with Whittier - West side of city, reunite West side of the city, whereas right now if is cracked between three different seats and muddles the voice of those who are on the West side, specifically in the Southwest and Central West - FOR HD6 IN PARTICULAR: New map is geographically compact. It would make more sense to move south or north instead of creating a T-shape. - Maps were drawn from the outside in, without understanding Denver and therefore BIPOC communities.

My name is Sheila Kowal and I plan to leave this ZOOM call in a few moments. I have lived in Colorado for 53 years, since 1968: 30 years in Arapahoe County and 23 years in Denver County. I have served as an officer at all levels of the Colorado Democratic Party, including as the first female chairman of the CDP in 1977-79. During the 2020 election cycle, I served as Captain of House District 2B. I acknowledge the work of all of this committee and I thank you. I'd like to suggest an image that reflects the process you are now engaged in: these early maps resemble a camel, which is a horse drawn by a committee. These maps have been provided by staff wary of politicizing a process that is inherently political. By bending over backwards to avoid politics, the conscientious staff and committee members have created a "camel," instead of a horse. I suggest that you re-introduce the culturally sensitive human element to provide coherence and common sense, to improve the final product. Thank you very much, Sheila Kowal 7/27/21