FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 23, 2021
 

Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission Staff Releases Second Legislative Staff Plans

DENVER -- The second legislative staff plans can be viewed or downloaded at https://redistricting.colorado.gov/content/staff-legislative-2.

The state senate and state house plans were prepared using 2020 Census Data, public comments and input from the legislative commission. The plans will be presented virtually to the commission on Sept. 24 at 1:00 p.m. The legislative commission must approve the final plan by Oct. 11. 

As stated in the Colorado Constitution, the new Legislative districts must: 

• Have equal population, as required by the U.S. Constitution, with a population deviation of no more than 5 percent between the most populous and the least populous district in each chamber;

• Be composed of contiguous geographic areas;

• Comply with the federal "Voting Rights Act of 1965," as amended;

• Preserve whole communities of interest and whole political subdivisions, such as counties, cities, and towns; however, a division of a county, city, city and county, or town is permitted where a community of interest's legislative issues are more essential to the fair and effective representation of residents of the district. When the commission divides a county, city, city and county, or town, it shall minimize the number of divisions of that county, city, city and county, or town;

• Be as compact as is reasonably possible; 

• and thereafter, maximize the number of politically competitive districts.

Districts cannot be drawn for the purpose of: 

• Protecting incumbents in or declared candidates for the Colorado General Assembly or any political party; or

• Denying or abridging the right of any citizen to vote on account of that person's race or membership in a language minority group, including diluting the impact of that racial or language minority group's electoral influence.

Written public comments will remain open and available throughout the consideration of final plans. To be adopted, the plans must be voted on and approved by eight of the 12 commissioners, including two unaffiliated commissioners. The plans must be adopted by the commission by Oct. 11 and submitted by nonpartisan legislative staff to the Colorado Supreme Court by Oct. 15.

###