Public Comments

Colorado Redistricting Commissioners: Thank you for serving on the Redistricting Commissioners and for considering my public comment on your redistricting efforts based on the 2020 Census. My name is Diane Brower. I have lived in Steamboat Springs in Routt County for 42 years. As you probably know, Routt County is primarily a tourism based economy. Our community is very oriented to outdoor recreation – skiing, hiking, backpacking, water sports, bicycling. It is similar to and closely aligned with such counties as Eagle, Summit, Pitkin and Grand. In my 42 years living in Routt County, our community has changed from being primarily an agriculture based economy to being primarily a tourism based economy. Our County no longer has much in common with most other counties in District 3 which are largely more rural and conservative. This is evidenced by the choice of our County Commissioners to recently Our County Commissioners have publicly stated that the AGNG “no longer effectively represents the views and interests of our county”. In the words of our Routt County Commissioners, “...Routt County and its citizens would be better served by an association and regional planning entity whose members align with our current and future economic and social programming and policy needs in the public and private sectors.” Routt County has a strong interest in the environment and concerns about climate change and the burning of fossil fuels, which is not shared in most of District 3. We are developing a Climate Action Plan -- also not something supported by much of District 3. Our community is also working to develop a mass transit system, not an issue of importance throughout District 3. Again, we are a mountain and resort community, unlike most of the counties in District 3. There are many other areas in which the Routt County differs from most of District 3, but is similar to other resort communities to the south and the east. District 3 is currently an impossibly diverse and sprawling district. Over the years, I have been involved in the campaigns of many people running for U.S. Representative for District 3. It is very difficult for a U.S. Representative to regularly visit constituents throughout the District or to adequately represent the widely divergent needs of the District because of the huge area it covers -- not only to the west and southwest of us, but all the way to Pueblo. Another example of the disconnect between Routt County and the rest of District 3 is the recent election of a U.S. Representative who seems to represent only the extreme, radical views of some of the rural, conservative constituents in District 3 who elected her. I currently consider myself and the majority in Routt County who are moderate to liberal to be without representation in the U.S. House. I would hope that your redistricting effort will reconfigure Colorado's Districts to more effectively represent the economic, social and political needs of its population. You have a big task ahead of you. Thank you for your service. I hope you will make decisions on what is best for all Coloradans – beyond limited partisan alliances. Thank you! Diane Brower 642 Evans St. Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

Dear Committee Members I drop in the virtual meetings randomly to see how progress is going and for the most part I am pleased with the direction the committee is taking. I have heard a lot of comments about mapping, and this is exactly how the committee should proceed. As I was listening to comments I got the sense that some of the citizenry voiced concerns over representation concerning minority groups, PAC concerns, were upset with the census bureau, and their individual political concerns, however I heard a consensus amongst the commissioners that ‘mapping’ is the number one issue, and I agree. As far as representation is concerned, we chose our representation based on where we live, and if we do not want the representation of the majority then we can move. Redistricting based on affiliation, ethnicity, or political preference should be not the concern of this commission, mapping should be and If we chose to live in a certain location, we should be represented by the consensus to that representation. Mapping is especially important, I have one issue with mapping, however. We must not use the method know as gerrymandering. I live in Pueblo County which for the last forty years has been a political victim of gerrymandering and the decisions for our representation have been based outside out county. I would like to see El Paso County be split in two at Pikes Peak Ave in Colorado Springs and any area south of that boundary should be include in a separate Congressional District. The South-Central portion of the state be allowed its own Congressional District. I have voiced this concern before and in fact on the day(s) you were all chosen I sent you a details proposal of how we feel the mapping should be handled. I want to reiterate that Pueblo and Huerfano Counties have no business being a part of the western Slope, so please do something about this. Thank you for the great job you are doing, and I am certain the citizenry of Colorado will be the beneficiaries of you diligent and efforts. Thomas McKenna – Pueblo

What shared interests unite your community? I live in central Denver and see rapid growth and changing growth patterns, namely density and gentrification. This is similar to the inner ring suburbs and namely Northwest Aurora and East Lakewood. The city borders are not hard stops and have similar needs: density, homelessness, gentrification, urban infill, transportation, traffic pattern adjustments. There are substantial needs around urban sustainability and Smart growth. We also need laws and leadership that reflect the 21st C urban corridor that supports Smart growth. Smart growth defined as a way to build cities, towns, and economically prosperous, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable neighborhoods. What are your community’s public policy concerns? Needs to address: density, homelessness, gentrification, urban infill, transportation, traffic pattern adjustments as well access to accessible housing. There are substantial needs around urban sustainability and Smart growth. We also need laws and leadership that reflect the needs of a 21st C urban corridor that supports smart growth. Smart growth is a way to build cities, towns, and economically prosperous, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable neighborhoods. What geographic areas or features are essential to your community? We have great green spaces in our established neighborhood that needs to be maintained and continue to be Smart Growth models. Sustainability will be a worthy challenge and necessary for our community to continue to thrive. Pedestrian traffic is growing in the and closing roads to cars as done during the pandemic was a great move that needs to be extended. What else should the commissions know about your community? Our community is privileged, however, we are a part of a larger community, and safety, success, and health are not limited to zip codes.

Please keep Ft Collins/Larimer county and Boulder/Boulder county in the same US Congressional district; we are both foothill communities and college towns with similar issues that requires one representatative. Do not hook us up with Greeley and Weld county as their interests are dissimilar. For state representative and senator please try to keep those within Ft Collins city limits. In ALL instances, I-25 is a very appropriate shared interests dividing line in Northern Colorado.

My main concern is that the state of CO will not redraw districts based on the math of where the population increase has taken place. The specific data has not yet been released but for some reason, there’s already talk of giving it to the front range. Every single vote should have the same weight and if the maps aren’t redrawn strictly based on the data of population, with the same number of voters per district, then you are creating imbalance.

I have lived in rural eastern Colorado for most of my life. As I approach the age of 70, I have no desire to live elsewhere; this is home. I am a fiscal conservative, social liberal who left the Republican Party during the Trump administration because it no longer represented traditional Republican values. The northeast Colorado region voted overwhelming for Trump, and while I am a definite minority, I believe that it is imperative that redistricting take into account the voices of the rural Colorado voters who support views differing from my own. I own a small farm on the South Platte River. Water concerns and agricultural issues should have a voice, and if rural counties are absorbed by more densely populated areas in Congressional redistricting, the urban/rural divide will only widen. I would encourage the Commission to being their work by group rural agricultural counties together in order to create a district that will continue to represent the interests of these counties. I am certainly not in lock-step with the political views of many in rural counties, (as is evidenced by my weekly columns in several newspapers) but I believe that all Coloradoans should have a voice in government. Making rural counties insignificant, by including them with more urban voters, while politically expedient, will only serve to foment more resentment, a less cooperative spirit, and will result in an even more divided state.

My first set of comments are in regard to congressional redistricting. First are the easy calls that simply make sense. A new CD 1 should be a Denver County based district that might need to add small contiguous municipalities as needed for population if necessary. Examples would be Sheridan and Glendale and... A new CD 2 should pick up Longmont and lose any Western slope Counties that it currently has. If it still needs population Broomfield County might be a good addition. A new CD 3 should be wholly within the Western slope. It should lose Pueblo and gain any western slope counties it doesn't currently have like Summit and Grand counties. Include Jackson County and as much of the San Louis Valley Counties as necessary for population. If it still needs population seek out other mountain counties such as Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Chaffee. A new CD 4 should lose Longmont and Douglas County and add Larimer County. Additional population should be added down the S. Platte Valley with Morgan, Logan and Sedgewick Counties. Additional population, if needed could be added with Phillips and Washington counties. This keeps the Northern Conservancy district and the farming areas of the S. Platte together. A new CD 5 should be made up of El Paso County. If it needs a few extra votes add Teller County and maybe Park if it needs a few more. El Paso county's community of interests are obvious. A new CD 6 could be made up of Eastern Colorado Counties, except for those needed for CD4. Add in Pueblo, Fremont and Custer counties. Add in Eastern Adams and Arapahoe counties to balance population and community of interest. These two urban counties have large land masses that are rural farming areas that would fit in well with the rest of Eastern Colorado. New CD's 7 and 8 would be made up largely of the remainders of Arapahoe and Adams counties and Jefferson and Douglas counties. They should be drawn to respect County and municipal lines, where possible. They are all urban areas with different flavors and geography, but still urban. Regarding legislative redistricting I will restrict my comments to my area of Northern Colorado. Weld County, my home County, has grown a whole lot just as our neighbor to the west, Larimer, has. Larimer may be a near perfect fit now for 4 full Representatives. It could simply drop out the Windsor portion of HD 49 and be wholly within Larimer to be near perfect. Weld would need some additional population to have 4 representatives. Looking to the east to pick up either Logan or Morgan Counties could fill the districts out nicely. An Eastern Weld/Morgan or Logan district would have plenty of community of interest. It would resemble the current Senate district, but smaller. A Southwestern Weld district makes sense because of population increases and their like communities. Greeley, Evans, Johnstown, Milliken and Windsor could be redistricted into two districts one competitive and one clearly GOP leaning. For the State Senate I believe that Weld is very close to perfect in size for 2 Senators without any other Counties involved. Thank you for your consideration, Bill Jerke

Welcome new members of Redistricting Commissions! We all are looking for a way to make community interests come to life. As you may well know, Colorado has a rich history in agriculture and rodeo. This state housed the first rodeo in 1869 in deer Trail, CO and the first county fair in 1869 in Boulder County, CO. Let us not forget the value of these two industries. Today, agriculture stands as a billion dollar industry for the state. Rodeo practices are a representation of the state’s history of what won the west and let cowboys raise food products on the front range. Exports in animal angricture stand for more than $5 billion. Weld County, CO is the number one Ag county producing beef cattle and feed products. Boulder County is responsible for the feed production to feed animals in and out of agriculture. The state has been ranked number five for lamb production. No matter the state’s dietary preferences, EVERY HUMAN relies on agriculture. The need for readily available food, fiber, and medical products which are thanks to agriculture. If legislation such as proposition 16 or other introductions pass, the state of Colorado will say goodbye to the states history and a necessary form of income and supply of medical resources, food, fiber, water management, and waste management. Animal Agriculture is responsible for 2% of the total 7% of emissions from Ag. Let us not turn away from a necessary industry that feeds the nation. Agriculture is not only stewardship to animal welfare and the land, but it feeds the world. Let us not fight the hand that feeds us. I ask that you stand for the rural communities of Colorado. This is how you will make a difference in the state.

Congratulation Commissioners on your appointments to the Colorado Congressional Redistricting Commission. We want to thank you for your commitment and dedication to ensuring the will of the people is adequately represented in congress through the unbiased, fair, and important task of apportionment of our congressional districts. I would like to point a grave disparity in the current alignment of our congressional districts which are to the south of El Paso County, and east of the Continental Divide, including the San Luis Valley which we will call True Southern Colorado. In the past forty years Pueblo, Huerfano, and Custer Counties has been part of the 3rd Colorado Congressional District along with the counties that make up the San Luis Valley and the entire section of the State of Colorado known as the Western Slope, or that portion that lies west of the Continental Divide. This alignment of the 3rd Congressional District was apportioned in 1982 as a gerrymandering maneuver by the Republican control legislature to make the district easier for Republican Control. In the last forty years this district has had fifteen sessions of congress represented by a republican where only six have been represent by a democrat and of that two-thirds disparity a citizen from the Western Slope has been in the 3rd Congressional Representative sixteen out of twenty sessions of Congress. This means that True Southern Colorado has not been represented in Congress for at least an eighty percent of time during the last forty years, and this is the type of and misrepresentation that this commission is designed to control. We feel that a complete realigned of the 3rd Congressional District is warranted by these facts and because of geographical distortion of the district. Look at a map and you will see that Huerfano, Custer and Pueblo Counties, along with the San Luis Valley look like an appendage stuck on the side of the Western Slope geographically we can see this is not representation, however more important is that the area are culturally, historically, and economically misaligned. Commissioners ask yourselves this question; Geographically does it make sense that Pueblo, Walsenburg, Westcliffe, Alamosa, Monte Vista, Del Norte, South Fork, Creed, Lake City, Antonito Saguache, and San Luis be aligned with the same representation they have in Grand Junction, Durango, Vali, Telluride, Rifle, Craig, Aspen and Steamboat Springs. Also ask the same question, “Do these same areas, that we just pointed out, also match up economically and culturally”? The obvious answer is NO, so why should we all be lumped together for representation as one when our needs, our cultures, our economies are different. This was put together for a political purpose and we ask you, the appointed redistricting commissioners, to split this forty-year travesty of misrepresentation up and allow South- Central Colorado to be able to choose our proper representation in Congress and be represented as we want to and not a political entity. We ask you, the commissioners to investigate this matter very thoroughly to have South Central Colorado represented in Congress adequately and this will help the Western Slope to improve their representation. We have proposed, on how we would like to see the 3rd Congressional District redrawn, each commissioner was sent a proposed, by mail, when each of you were appointed to this commission. One other important item is that we in this proposal are suggesting that El Paso County be spilt at Pikes Peak Ave and added to the newly aligned 3rd Congressional District because this will satisfy population requirements and bring South-Central Colorado line with better representation geography, culturally and economically. One other item which is important to use this the area we proposed for the South – Central District be allowed to retain the nomenclature of the ‘Third Congressional District’ because before the gerrymandering in 1980-82, we in this geographical area were the 3rd Congressional District and we want to keep that designation and be more properly aligned as a people. Sincerely Thomas McKenna Spokesperson for the Citizens of True Southern Colorado.

The rural, and mountain areas, and agricultural, MUST be better represented.