Amendment Z would create an independent state legislative redistricting commission that would be responsible for redistricting Colorado's 65 House districts and 35 Senate districts. The commission would be composed of 12 members: four from the state’s largest political party, four from the state’s second largest political party, and four that are not affiliated with any political party.
The Colorado legislative districts (35 state senators and 65 state representatives) are redrawn every 10 years following the census. The districts are divided to have a nearly equal population in each district.
Since 1974, the Colorado Reapportionment Commission consisting of 11 members, has convened to draw a new state legislative district map after the census.
This proposal establishes a new process for state legislative redistricting, replacing the Colorado Reapportionment Commission with the Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission. This is a similar but separate process from the congressional redistricting proposal in Amendment Y.
Applicants for commissioners must be registered voters. They are screened by nonpartisan legislative staff. The final 12 commissioners are selected from the pool of qualified applicants as described in Amendment Y.
The Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court designates a panel of three of the most recently retired judges from the state Supreme Court or Court of Appeals which are part of the process of selection of the commissioners. This panel cannot have the same judges as those appointed for the Congressional Redistricting panel.
The composition of the commission is meant to reflect the state’s racial, ethnic, gender and geographic diversity and must include representation from each congressional district.
This proposal adds criteria for the commission to follow when adopting a map, which includes preserving communities of interest (limiting the splitting of cities, towns, and counties). It must follow the federal requirement that states redraw their districts to be equal in population and adhere to the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. Maps cannot be drawn for the purpose of protecting incumbents, candidates or political parties.
There is a requirement for public hearings throughout the state to collect public input before the commission approves a redistricting map, as well as opportunities for public input online.
The Colorado Supreme Court reviews and ultimately approves the final map adopted by the commission.
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning a change to the manner in which state senate and state house of representatives districts are drawn, and, in connection therewith, reforming the existing legislative reapportionment commission by expanding the commission to twelve members and authorizing the appointment of members who possess specified qualifications; prohibiting any one political party's control of the commission by requiring that one-third of commissioners will not be affiliated with any political party, one-third of the commissioners will be affiliated with the state's largest political party, and one-third of the commissioners will be affiliated with the state's second largest political party; prohibiting certain persons, including professional lobbyists, federal campaign committee employees, and federal, state, and local elected officials, from serving on the commission; limiting judicial review of a map to a determination by the supreme court of whether the commission or its nonpartisan staff committed an abuse of discretion; requiring the commission to draw state legislative districts using communities of interest as well as political subdivisions, such as cities and counties, and then to maximize the number of competitive state legislative seats to the extent possible; and prohibiting maps from being drawn to dilute the electoral influence of any racial or ethnic group or to protect any incumbent, any political candidate, or any political party?