Public Comments

"Thank you so much for listening to the public for input and proposing the September 23rd third staff plan map. Rural Colorado deserves it’s own voice and this map delivers that by ensuring two rural districts. The inclusive map has contiguous geographic areas, equal populations as required by the Constitution, and preserves communities of interests. It ensures Congressional districts are well represented and not dominated by Denver, includes compact districts, and maximizes the number of politically competitive districts. Well done Commissioners! Thank you."

Thank you, commissioners. The American poet and author, Maya Angelou, famously said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” You have undoubtedly heard so much opinion about where you should and shouldn’t put particular district lines, including from political officials who haven’t mentioned that they might – just might – have a partisan agenda at work. With apologies to Ms. Angelou, I’d like to put a question to you. If a county shows you what is important to it under non-political circumstances, should you believe it the first time? Let me reduce this question to the situation and the challenge that you face. Should you believe the county when partisan political officials are making political statements for this decidedly political purpose of redistricting? Or should you believe what those same county officials when they are legislating and making policy for what honestly believe to be the county’s best and most important interests? The first is clearly motivated by political purposes; the second is entirely motivated by what they really believe when they are acting to improve the lives of their constituents. Here’s my answer to the questions posed to you. When a county tells you that a specific industry (and this is a direct quote) “has historically been, and continues to be, one of the key economic drivers” in that county, you should trust the public officials making that statement that it truly is an important industry. http://ccionline.org/download/Douglas-FINAL-Resolution.pdf Similarly, if in a separate piece of legislation, that same county highlights the fact that this same industry (and again, this is a direct quote) “contributes $18.9 million to the County’s economy,” it seems you’d want to acknowledge that significant, quantifiable economic contribution in your decision making. https://douglascountyco.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=2783&MediaPosition=&ID=6880&CssClass= In 2021, Douglas County Commissioners made these two findings about one of its “key economic drivers” worth almost $20 million a year. It made these findings in resolutions passed in March and June of this year, copies of which I will submit to the commission. What was that industry that was so important to Douglas County, both in the past and in the present? According to the County itself, it was “agriculture” and “livestock production.” Why did the County make these findings? There have been certain policy initiatives in Colorado that threaten agriculture and livestock production, and the County wanted it on the record that this industry is critical to many of its residents and its overall economy. Of course, plenty of political motivated actors ask you to ignore the county’s own statements of its policy priorities. You can’t do that. You can’t use political posturing as a substitute for clear, specific, and unqualified statements of how the county sets its priorities. Do parts of Douglas County have an urban aspect to them? Sure. Many formally rural counties do. But if agriculture is a “key economic driver” in this part of the state, the county commissioners can’t deny – and you redistricting commissioners can’t deny – the importance of this industry to Douglas County. Or the fact that it shares federal policy concerns over agricultural product export policy, price supports for agricultural commodities, and regulation of the safe transport and sale to consumers of these products. Believe the Douglas County Commissioners when they acted authentically and without any partisan agenda. Douglas County has policy interests in common with Morgan County and Lincoln County and Otero County. The fact that the county commissioners say one thing when they legislate and the opposite when they try to get you to act in accordance with their political party means that their map advocacy to you is all about protecting a political party, not standing up for a community of interest. Douglas County should be in a 4th Congressional District with the counties of the eastern plains. Thank you.

Leave Eagle County in CD3

I live in rural north Routt County. I have NOTHING ideologically in common with the liberal urban Steamboat Springs. I certainly have NOTHING ideologically in common with Boulder, and certainly NOT with Ed Perlmutter's metro Denver! Most of us in rural Routt County (North, West, or South Routt) consider Steamboat Springs a necessary evil that we avoid whenever possible. Lumping us with Steamboat Springs is an INSULT! Lumping Steamboat Springs with similar ski resort cities/.towns makes more sense. Lumping north Summit County with Breckenridge makes no sense either. I moved several years ago from Summit County. I was embarrassed to be represented by Joe Neguse (D) of Boulder. EMBARRASSED! How can a leftist, California transplant understand or represent my interests? Boulder has always been a joke to conservatives and to the rest of Colorado (except maybe metro Denver). I have been VERY HAPPY to be represented by Lauren Bobert (R). I was happy with our previous conservative representative, Scott Tipton. Not since Hank Brown represented Colorado have I been as happy with my Congressional Representative. Not since Richard Lamm (D) and Roy Romer (D) have I had any respect for a democrat, but they weren't hard-left liberals either. Don't include me in Joe Neguse's congressional district! Don't include me in Steamboat Springs/Breckenridge, Vail, Aspens leftist district. Dylan Roberts (D) may represent the interests of Vail and Steamboat Springs, but he rarely represents my interests. I am very happy to be included into the western slope rural congressional district. Including Routt County with the eastern slope is another slap in the face. There are so many issues that the eastern slope AND the urban front range DO NOT HAVE IN COMMON WITH THE WESTERN SLOPE.

I am a Broomfield resident and our town should not be split in half via redistricting. We we have minimal voice as a community in with district. Please keep us districted with our neighbors to the east (Westminster, etc) and not districted to Boulder.

Dear Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commissioners: As I’ve mentioned in my previous testimony, Mi Familia Vota has dedicated the last 15 years to empowering the latino and immigrant community all across Colorado by registering over 65,000 latinos to vote and interacting directly with community members through public events, tabling at latino grocery stores, in high schools, transit stops and latino small businesses in Aurora, Commerce City, Denver, Federal Heights, Greeley, Lakewood, Longmont, Northglenn, Pueblo, Thornton, Westminster, and many other cities across different counties in the State. We are one of the largest organizations dedicated to empowering the latino community to participate civically and have their voices heard by exercising their right to vote. Our hard work engaging latinos in something as critical as exercising their right to vote is why we believe Commissioner Tafoya’s Staff Plan 3 Amendment 2 map best represents the growing community of interest specifically in the plan’s 8th congressional district. This map addresses concerns I raised before the commission this summer about keeping Commerce City whole in the proposed 8th district, while also connecting latino communities between Adams County, Longmont, and Greeley. Many community members have mentioned in testimony: communities in west Adams County, Longmont, and Greeley have common needs and should have an ability to elect someone who reflects their community and their needs. We agree, which is why we respectfully urge you to approve Commissioner Tafoya’s Staff Plan 3 Amendment 2 map. MiFamilia Vota, a non-partisan non-profit organization building political power in the Latino and Immigrant communities all across Colorado. Thank you for your consideration. Salvador Hernandez Colorado State Director Mi Familia Vota

Thanks for being here to discuss issues that are important to Colorado and specifically issues that are important to the Front Range of our state. You probably think of Douglas County as the connecting point between Colorado Springs and the Denver metro area. That’s one way to think about a county we’ve all driven through. As someone from this area of the state, let me suggest that there’s another way to think of Douglas County. Douglas County is a place where ranching and farming was commonplace. It’s still significant. And it links us to counties to the east. On March 9 of this year, the Douglas County commissioners said, rightfully, that “cattle and livestock production has been and continues to be one of the key economic drivers in Douglas County.” Why? They were clear about that, stating, “Cattle and other livestock are an extremely efficient means of converting dryland pasture grass to dietary proteins that are an important part of our citizens’ diets.” They further noted, “Douglas County Cattlemen and our ranching families are part of a $4.2B state industry with a $40B state impact and accounts for 10% of the state’s total export sales.” The commissioners acted out of “support for our cattlemen and other livestock producers.” http://ccionline.org/download/Douglas-FINAL-Resolution.pdf This interest was so important that the Douglas County commissioners passed a resolution that declared March 20, 2021 as Douglas County Cattlemen’s Day and also called on state officials to give up a state-designated meatless day. It was the presence and the significance of the Douglas County ranching presence that gave them reason to call for this somewhat extraordinary step. Or as one of the commissioners said publicly, “We don't want government killing our agriculture and our cattle industry here.” https://parkerchronicle.net/stories/douglas-county-declares-march-20-cattlemans-day,373761 If you don’t believe me that this is substantively important, believe the Douglas County Republican Party. Just after the Commissioners passed this resolution, the Party issued a statement in support of this resolution that pointed to “the many past and current contributions of Douglas County Cattlemen and other Livestock Producers and supporting the local Ranching Industry.” Not only that, the Party’s stated, “our DougCo Commissioners recognize the value of our producers/Ag in this county.” https://dcgop.org/recognizing-douglas-county-cattlemen-and-ranching-industry/ Let me tell you about the Douglas County Cattlemen and Douglas County ranching families that the commissioners and the Party referred to. They’re part of a long-standing livestock organization, the Elbert-Douglas County Livestock Association. How long has this association been around? Since 1875, making it one of the oldest livestock associations in the country. This joint effort across county lines – going east to west, not north to south – works to foster common interests in agricultural business, land and resource stewardship, and education and community in Elbert and Douglas counties. This connection among adult ranchers mirrors the connection among teens in those counties. The Douglas County Future Farmers of America chapter is part of a district within Colorado. That FFA district includes Elbert and Lincoln Counties, among other rural communities such as those on the eastern edge of El Paso County. I’m asking you keep in mind the highways that matter to Douglas County. It’s not just I-25. Think about State Highway 86 that links Castle Rock to Franktown, Elizaebeth, and Kiowa, and operates to provide connection to various county roads. It then merges into I-70, the primary route to Limon and all points east to the Kansas border. This basic connection speaks of a long-standing, still-standing agriculture industry that, according to Douglas County commissioners, is so very important to that county. This grouping of Douglas County with the eastern plains made sense when the 4th Congressional District was arranged 10 years ago. It obviously still makes sense given the ties that exist and the concerns for a thoughtful congressperson who will support policies that support ranching when it is at issue in debates over federal policy. I appreciate your time and attention, and I’ll appreciate your congressional map’s inclusion of Douglas County in the 4th Congressional District.

I would like to thank the commission for considering public opinion and recommending the September 23rd staff map. Rural Colorado deserves a seat at the table which is shown on this map, which will lead to this area being able to represent its best interests. We really appreciate your support.

Opposed to re-districting. Based on contiguous geographic regions, population, rural area equality etc. as per the Constitution. Thank you for your consideration

Dear Congressional Redistricting Commissioners: For those of us who care about gun violence and expect our representative in Congress to do something to keep us safer, the mere thought of putting Douglas County with Arapahoe or Jefferson Counties is horrifying. As to this critical issue, Douglas County has long been allied with its neighbors along the eastern plains, each of which has declared itself to be a “Second Amendment Sanctuary County.” In case you didn’t know, that’s shorthand for opposing reasonable gun safety legislation, an issue that Congress can – if it has the political will – make progress on. Yet, since 2013, the Douglas County Commissioners have proclaimed their county to be so safe as to not warrant any further legislative protection for the citizens of that county and Colorado more broadly. The Commission adopted a resolution, R-013-023, to show its unqualified support of Second Amendment rights and to actually implore Congress not to act further on this all-important topic. I’d like to quote from that resolution to show you what the official position on gun safety is in Douglas County: - National studies “have found no persuasive evidence that ‘gun control’ laws reduce crime.” - Additionally, “Americans are safer from violent crime than they have been at any time since the mid-1960’s.” - The Commission “strongly urges the United States Congress and the Colorado General Assembly to refrain from enacting new legislation that would infringe on the rights that are protected by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article II, section 13 of the Colorado Constitution.” https://sanctuarycounties.com/2013/02/26/douglas-county-co-passes-resolution-in-defense-of-second-amendment/ In the last 8 years, the Douglas County Commission hasn’t backed off from this position. In contrast, the county commissioners in Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties have adopted no resolution that is even close to the one adopted by Douglas County. In all of those counties, the commissioners’ actions reflect the strong public sentiment of their constituents. From a young age, our children practice drills to avoid shooters in their schools. Our Jefferson County and Arapahoe County suburbs have been the sites of some of the worst mass shootings in our country’s history, whether your think first of the Columbine High School or the Aurora theatre shootings. Our families live with this issue every single day. Let Douglas County ask its congressperson to oppose all gun safety legislation at the federal level, legislation like H.R. 1006 (“Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2021), H.R. 1207 (“Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2021”), and H.R. 5273 (“Gun Safety and Research Act”). Those of us who live in adjacent suburbs want – no, we need – a congressperson who won’t be conflicted on this issue of life and death. Keep Douglas with those counties it has chosen to identify with, counties up and down Colorado’s Eastern Plains. Sincerely, John D. Cooper