Tag: Redistricting

Democrats and Republicans held hearings on dueling redistricting maps at the Capitol Thursday while party leadership negotiated with the governor to find a solution to partisan gridlock.

The battle of the maps continues under the Capitol dome as Democrats released a new redistricting map today that they said is a compromise that is still open to change as the deadline quickly approaches for the General Assembly to provide the state with new lines of congressional representation.

House Republicans introduced their version of what could be the map of the political battlefield Tuesday. While Republicans called the map an olive branch extended to their Democratic colleagues,they actually carved out four of the seven districts to favor themselves.

The big fight over congressional redistricting entered center ring Thursday afternoon as Sen. Rollie Heath introduced SB 268 as the Democratic starting point for the state's new congressional district lines. The map mirrors a version first presented in the failed Joint Select Committee on Redistricting, which he co-chaired.

Democrats and Republicans traded barbs Monday after Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, declared an end to the Joint Select Committee on Redistricting by preparing to introduce a bill to create a Democratic map. In turn, Republicans said they too would introduce a map to compete with the Democratic version.

Senator Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, said today that he would likely introduce two redistricting map bills into the Senate after committee talks broke down on redistricting. Heath said there was no reason for further conversations with Republicans, who he said did not have authority to negotiate.

Redistricting co-chair Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, has issued a Democratic report stressing the need for competitive districts, and said a bill would likely be introduced in the Legislature this week. Republican leaders, in turn, issued their own statements chastising Democratic efforts.

Gov. John Hickenlooper said Thursday that while he did not have any plans to veto a redistricting bill, he did feel that any redistricting plan needed to provide for more competitive districts.

Republicans countered Democratic desires for drawing competitive districts Wednesday by refusing to use party registration as a factor in the Joint Select Committee on Redistricting's effort to draw Congressional lines. The move led to another stalemate between the parties, leaving no map drawn and an ever increasing chance that Colorado courts will again draw the Congressional districts.

Rob Witwer, a former state Representative and today's Republican appointee to redraw the redistricting lines for the Legislature, has published an editorial detailing his support for civil unions.