Voting rights activists displeased with a ballot measure that would change the way Colorado draws up maps for U.S. House and state legislative districts are now offering up two new ballot questions of their own. The competing reforms, their supporters say, are aimed at ending the dogfight that happens every 10 years over the boundaries for Colorado’s U.S. House members and 100 legislators. Which neighborhoods are included in a district can give an advantage to one party over the other based on demographics and voting history. Initiative 122 would create a commission to redraw congressional districts, and Initiative 123 would establish a separate commission to shape legislative districts after every 10-year census.
Recently introduced, the measures present a direct challenge to another ballot measure, Initiative 107, announced in November, that would create a 12-member commission of four Democratic appointees, four Republican and four members who are from minor parties or have been unaffiliated from a major party for at least a year. The commission would handle both congressional and legislative boundaries.
The new measures would both feature nine-member commissions that would each include three appointed Democrats, three Republicans and three unaffiliated members.
Full Article: How 3 Colorado initiatives could change which lawmakers you vote for – The Denver Post.