Author: Evan Wyloge
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Redistricting commission’s new legislative draft maps signal solid Democratic majorities
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Colorado’s Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission released new draft proposals for the state’s House and Senate district maps Monday, foreshadowing the likely continued dominance at the statehouse by Democrats. The newest version of the maps also boost minority composition in some parts of the state, when compared to earlier versions of the maps drafted in June,…
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Despite $1 million incentive program, Colorado’s vaccination rates continue sluggish pace
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When he announced last week that Colorado would give away $5 million to five vaccinated residents, Gov. Jared Polis was excited. He brought out a novelty $1 million check and was already talking about the incentive before he’d reached the mic. Colorado’s first-dose vaccination rate had stagnated since April, as the state hit its highly…
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Colorado Supreme Court beats back state politicians’ redistricting efforts
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Colorado’s independent redistricting commissions are, in fact, independent from the state’s political class and their desires, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, rebuffing lawmakers, the governor, the secretary of state and the attorney general. Specifically, the Colorado Supreme Court said the lawmakers’ bill that would change this year’s redistricting process amounts to an unconstitutional infringement…
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Redistricting commissioners clash over prisoner reallocation
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Some of the commissioners charged with redrawing Colorado’s congressional maps have raised objections to a law requiring them to count state prisoners where they lived prior to their incarceration, instead of where they’re incarcerated, drawing sharp responses from commissioners who back the prisoner reallocation law. While only a minority of commissioners expressed skepticism about whether…
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State Supreme Court scrutinizes legislators’ redistricting proposal
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Colorado’s highest court on Monday heard arguments over whether state legislators have the authority to enact a law that would adjust the voter-approved state redistricting process, with several justices skeptical of the legality or prudence of lawmakers’ proposal. At issue is a bill advanced by lawmakers that aims to keep the state’s redistricting commissioners on…
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Southern Colorado still dry as Denver, northern Colorado get drought relief
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For the first time in a year, the Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins areas are no longer experiencing drought or abnormal dryness. The return to normal for some of the state’s most populous areas comes after several waves of spring rain and snowstorms. But the improved conditions come with a big caveat: Much of western…
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Colorado lawmakers ask state supreme court to weigh redistricting shakeup
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Colorado lawmakers have asked the state supreme court to evaluate a legislative proposal to change how the first independent redistricting commission will redraw the state’s political maps for the next decade. Lawmakers want the independent redistricting commissions to start their work without delay, even though the U.S. Census Bureau’s decennial census data required for final…
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Redistricting bill one step closer to Supreme Court review
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A panel of state lawmakers on Monday tweaked, then sent for consideration by the full House chamber, a bill that would adjust how the state’s new voter-approved redistricting works this year, in response to census data delays caused by the global pandemic. But lawmakers plan, once the bill on the verge of final passage, won’t…
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Redistricting chairman defends Facebook posts: ‘I’m not a conspiracy theorist’
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During the first few meetings of Colorado’s inaugural Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission, Danny Moore has been personable, inclusive and considerate, and his fellow redistricting commissioners even selected him to be the commission’s chairman. But online, Moore is more jagged. His Facebook posts, which had previously been public but which are now not publicly visible, spread…
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Ballot measure campaigns ramp up spending in final push for voter approval
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Colorado’s ballot measure campaigns spent $12.7 million in the first two weeks of October, the latest campaign finance reports show. From topics like abortion, the electoral college and medical leave to property and tobacco taxes, the hot-button campaigns are in a final sprint toward the end of the 2020 campaign cycle, trying to persuade voters…
