This evening Senate Democrats voted to kill House Bill 11-1319, the Colorado Communities redistricting map, in the Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee. The bill’s presentation came hours after Senate Republicans forced Democrats to assign the bill to a committee after enacting a procedural move to have every bill read at length until Democrats conceded to hold a public hearing.
“This is the second redistricting bill Senate Democrats killed in less than 24 hours, including one they authored,” said Senator Greg Brophy, R-Wray. “Despite the fact that we have a constitutional duty to redraw Colorado’s congressional districts, Democrats chose to punt and give this task to the courts.”
The Democrats’ decision to kill yet another redistricting proposal guarantees Colorado’s congressional districts will once again be drawn by unelected members of the court system.
“House Bill 11-1319 respected communities of interest, avoided unnecessary divisions in cities and honored the organic testimony heard at the statewide redistricting hearings,” said Brophy. “It’s clear the Democrats had no intention of passing a redistricting map and intended to give this to the courts the entire time. Their actions show a clear pattern of deception to the people of Colorado.”
Senator Brophy went on to point out several actions taken by Democrats that demonstrated their intention to give the redistricting process to the courts. Brophy referenced as evidence: House Bill 10-1408 which repealed congressional district criteria, the Democrat filibuster of their own redistricting proposal, their refusal of Republican offers to draw a bipartisan map in public, and tonight’s committee hearing.
“While Republicans were willing to concede to several of their points to draw this map, we were absolutely unwilling to compromise the Eastern Plains and communities of interest across the state to get their support. Unfortunately this means the redistricting process is now out of the hands of the General Assembly,” concluded Brophy.
House Bill 11-1319, the Colorado Communities map, died on a party-line vote. Democrat Senators Rollie Heath, Bob Bacon and Betty Boyd voted ‘no’ while Republican Senators Bill Cadman and Kevin Grantham voted ‘yes.’
Placing the redistricting of Colorado into the hands of the Courts, only made possible by the Democrats, is clearly and cowardly an attempt to give a Liberal Court the responsibility to declare the redistricting without the Consent of the People.
As if the Gerrymandering wasn't bad enough, now the Dems wish to merely pass on their constitutional responsibilities and allow someone else to decide for them. GOOD JOB!
Park County may soon be represented by the Liberal and gay, Jared Polis and no longer Congressman Mike Coffman. Doug Lamborne's constituents may, for the most part, be safe; but only time, will tell.
We must all be watching this redistricting process and offer our comments to our representatives at every opportunity afforded us.
I read a column in the Denver Post trying to explain why the Dems wanted districts that were more 50/50 and just couldn't agree with their reasoning. They believe that people will get representatives that are more likely to be moderates instead of radicals since they have to appeal to both Dems and Republicans to win.
But I see it more like this, 45% of the people in the district aren't going to like their representative. When the districts are 70% or higher Red or Blue, you are more likely to get people electing who they want.
My prediction? This will get bumped up to the courts, and hopefully they will decide for the people instead of for the Democrat brain trust.
I used to live in a district that was mainly Boulder and I hated having that Dem represent me.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
OK. Yet, when I elect a representative, I want them to do their honest and diligent best. I never asked to have my decisions arbitrarily delegated to a single unelected court official. The Dems have been gerrymandering to essentially eliminate Mike Coffman, with the hopes that we as ParkCo residents will sleepily accept Jared Polis. Jared Polis will never be capable of seeing things the way we in ParkCo, do.
Our County is made up of Ranchers, small business owners and genuinely, self-reliant individuals. Perhaps there is a very small NE corner of ParkCo that would be happy with Polis. Yet, the Dems think Jared would be a good match for the majority of our County. Can't you see that it is simply a case of moving the lines to benefit the Democrats?
Please look into Mike Coffman's and Doug Lamborne's records to see how well they have represented the people of Park County.
Isn't this what every party in the majority does when they have the chance to redistrict? They choose districts that are most advantageous to them. I actually like the idea of districts that are more evenly divided, since our state is pretty evenly divided.....I would hope that would make those running for office seriously think about what is best for their district, not just what is best for their party. they would need to appeal to both those who would vote for them because of the letter after their name, and to those they need from the other party to get elected.
With an evenly divided legislature....both sides will push to get a better advantage next go-around, in hopes of disenfranchising the voters from the other party where ever possible. It's what they do.....I have always felt that the legislature shouldn't be who makes up districts for this very reason....it's a crap shoot who will be in power after a census, and the voters are stuck with that for 10 years. I would hope a court would be more equitable (false hope? maybe)
False Hope? Maybe! But, wimply putting the responsibility placed upon those whom we dutifully elected as our representatives, into the hands of a single juror is corrupt, as well as disenfranchising to the entirety of the electorate.
The Senate is often seen as the more moderate branch of Congress because to win the candidate has to get the votes of their party plus be able to convince independents and the other party to vote for him. I am OK with having the firebrands win congressional seats. Also the House is much more likely to elect minorities than the Senate. If you make the districts 50-50, expect more boring, white males to win.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
archer wrote: Isn't this what every party in the majority does when they have the chance to redistrict? They choose districts that are most advantageous to them. I actually like the idea of districts that are more evenly divided, since our state is pretty evenly divided.....I would hope that would make those running for office seriously think about what is best for their district, not just what is best for their party. they would need to appeal to both those who would vote for them because of the letter after their name, and to those they need from the other party to get elected.
With an evenly divided legislature....both sides will push to get a better advantage next go-around, in hopes of disenfranchising the voters from the other party where ever possible. It's what they do.....I have always felt that the legislature shouldn't be who makes up districts for this very reason....it's a crap shoot who will be in power after a census, and the voters are stuck with that for 10 years. I would hope a court would be more equitable (false hope? maybe)
Would you then support chopping up Denver and Boulder to bring them into the 50/50 category as well? Shall we have the same Representative seeking to equally represent the concerns of urban Denver and the concerns of ranchers and farmers? It would seem to me that the best way to ensure a district's representative represented their interests was to make sure that the district was composed of people who had commonality beyond being citizens of Colorado.
The needs of the people in Denver are not all the same as the needs of the people who live in Park or Elbert County. The needs of the people in Park County are not the same as the people who live in Otero or Montezuma County. If all the ranchers live in certain sections, then their voting habits be hanged, their representative should represent the ranching community and not the urban community because including the urban dwellers evened out the number of voters registered with either party to make the district competitive.
PrintSmith did you look at the proposed map...nothing of the sort you are complaining about is being proposed....no part of Denver is being added to Boulder, nor to Park are Elbert. Look at the proposed map before commenting.
