Last month, Colorado Politics’ Evan Wyloge broke the story of Rep. Matt Soper’s redistricting presentation, in which the legislator provided local Republican party officers and activists with alternate maps and testimony intended to keep him and at least one of his Western Slope colleagues in their current districts. Wyloge’s story and subsequent reporting covered Soper’s request to his audience that they never mention that he was the one providing their talking points, as well as his frustration with the consultants running the Colorado Neighborhood Coalition, the conservative lobbying group that he said was hired by the Colorado House & Senate Republicans. CNC lobbyist Alan Philp denied that claim and Soper retracted that statement, saying he was mistaken.
redistricting
Lauren Boebert Mocks CO Redistricting Commission, Implies It Favors Dems
In a Sep. 11 speech to the conservative evangelical “Truth & Liberty Conference” in Colorado Springs, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert mocked Colorado’s Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission, implying that the members of the commission are drawing maps to favor Democrats.
Colorado, It’s Time to End Prison Gerrymandering
Earlier this week, a coalition of state and local civil rights organizations called on the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions to end prison gerrymandering. Commission members are expected to hold a critical vote on the issue Thursday.
Civil Rights Groups Urge CO Redistricting Commission to Allocate Inmates Based on Residency, Not Prison Location
On Monday, a coalition of Colorado-based civil rights organizations published a letter urging the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions to reallocate the prison population to their home communities, in order to prevent racial bias from contaminating the new maps for Colorado congressional and legislative districts.
CO Immigrant Rights Group Condemns Redistricting Commissioner’s Comments on Undocumented Workers
The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), an immigration advocacy group, condemned comments about undocumented workers made by Congressional Redistricting commissioner Bill Leone.
Deadline for Redistricting Comments Coming Soon
Many Coloradans will recall voting on “Amendments Y and Z” in 2018. The measures, which won the approval of voters, established an independent, bipartisan commission to facilitate the state redistricting process every ten years, with Amendment Y devoted to Colorado’s congressional districts, and Amendment Z to its state legislative districts. Up until then, all members of Colorado’s redistricting committee were chosen by political officials.
The Chair of Colorado’s Independent Redistricting Commission is a Conspiracy Theorist
“The election of 2020 will go down as the most questioned election in our country’s history,” wrote Danny Moore, the chair of the new Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission, on Facebook. That’s just one example of this conspiracy theorist’s habit of spreading misinformation about the election, COVID-19, and other topics.