July 19, 2011 Reapportionment
Once every ten years, after the census results are published, Colorado appoints a Reapportionment Commission to draw new boundaries for House and Senate districts in the state legislature. The main purpose of this exercise is to equalize the population of the districts to ensure the constitutional imperative of “one person, one vote.” This 11-member commission meets throughout the summer and fall to produce new maps of Colorado’s 35 Senate Districts and 65 House Districts.
The Colorado Constitution does not require perfect numerical equality, and slight deviations in population between districts are permitted. Because growth occurs in different places and at different rates throughout the state, the current districts vary widely with some containing vastly more population than the ideal average number, while others are underpopulated and must become larger. Rural Colorado will see House and Senate districts expand their territory to take in the necessary number of people, while fast-growing suburbs will see their districts become more compact.
The Colorado Constitution instructs the Reapportionment Commission to consider various factors when drawing district boundaries, with population equality being primary, while other important considerations respect county boundaries, municipal boundaries and preserve ”communities of interest.” Because of geography and dispersed population it is impossible to draw maps that achieve every consideration, but the Reapportionment Commission must balance those interests and follow court interpretations of the constitutional directives.
The commission is appointed by state officials in all three branches of government. Legislative leaders appoint four members, the Governor appoints three, and the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court appoints the remaining four. Appointments occur in this sequence, and there are requirements for participation from different political parties and various parts of the state. This year, the commission consists of five Republicans, five Democrats and one unaffiliated voter. The unaffiliated member was appointed by the Chief Justice and serves as chairman of the commission.
The commission has almost finished a first draft of maps for the House and Senate. Once the last details are worked out, the commission is going to take their draft maps on tour across the state in August, holding public hearings in 25 different cities and towns to receive feedback from citizens. A schedule of these hearing can be found HERE.
Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts is an inherently political process. In some parts of the state slight changes in boundaries will favor one political party over the other. These “competitive” districts are the subject of much debate as partisans seek every possible advantage. Enormous amounts of data are analyzed to determine not only the population of proposed districts, but also their racial composition and voting predilections. Federal laws protect the ability of minority communities to influence election outcomes, but how this is accomplished is often the subject of controversy and litigation.
Below is an excerpt of the proposed map for a portion of the Denver metro area. The yellow district numbered ”31″ is where I live, and it differs a great deal from the current SD 31 that I now represent. It contains about 14,000 more people than my current district and it is less racially diverse. It is entirely within the boundaries of the City and County of Denver, except it contains the Arapahoe County enclaves of Glendale and Holly Hills. My current district extends north into Adams County and includes the neighborhood where I lived as a teen and the high school I graduated from in 1982. With his proposed map I won’t get to represent those areas after the next election.
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