House committee advances bill requiring independent county redistricting commissions

DENVER — The House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee moved House Bill 10 38 forward to the Committee of the Whole on a vote of 8 to 3 after adopting seven amendments.

Representative Paschal, the bill sponsor, told the committee the measure — titled the County Commissioner Redistricting Integrity Act — removes the option for county commissioners to appoint themselves as a county’s redistricting committee and instead requires an independent redistricting committee appointed by the board of county commissioners in counties that elect some or all commissioners by district. "This bill removes the option of the county commissioners being able to appoint themselves their own redistricting committee," Paschal said, adding the change is intended to reduce conflicts of interest.

The bill, as amended, preserves flexibility for counties: boards may appoint members to the independent commission, remove members for nonparticipation or disruptive behavior and, if the commission produces maps that do not comply with statute, send them back for revision or ask for multiple maps for the board to vote on. Sponsor amendments also clarified that competitiveness remains a low‑priority factor and made technical fixes to how competitiveness will be calculated (switching from "vote share" to "margin of victory").

Supporters including the League of Women Voters and representatives of Arapahoe and El Paso counties said the change will reduce the appearance of self‑dealing and increase public confidence. Holly Monkman of the League of Women Voters of Colorado urged support for an amendment that keeps open alternatives to districting in the legislative declaration. Arapahoe County Commissioner Jessica Campbell said her county had used an advisory process similar to the independent model and did not find it unduly expensive.

Weld County Commissioner Scott James opposed the bill unless his county’s requested amendment recognizing home rule is adopted. James said redistricting of county commissioner districts is a matter of "local concern" and asked why non‑Weld legislators "believe they know better than the people of Weld County." He warned the proposal risks shifting decision making away from local voters. Other members cited the Colorado Supreme Court rulings that, in their view, require counties to follow state statute in certain redistricting matters.

The committee adopted seven amendments during the hearing, including L001 (clarifying board authority to remove disruptive commission members and to reject noncompliant maps), L003 (confirming competitiveness remains lowest priority), L004 (tweaking the legislative declaration), L005 (explicitly preserving an elector's right to challenge a map in court), L006 (technical fix: margin of victory), and L007 (self‑reference bill number correction). Amendment L001 was adopted on a recorded poll (9‑2). The committee then voted 8‑3 to send the bill, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.

The sponsors and supporters said the bill does not change redistricting timelines nor force any county to change the number or method of electing commissioners; it applies only where counties choose to elect commissioners by district. The sponsor and vice chair said they are open to additional stakeholder engagement as the bill moves forward.

Actions at a glance: Amendment L001–L007 adopted; motion to move HB 10 38 as amended to the Committee of the Whole passed 8‑3.

The Committee of the Whole will next consider the measure; no further committee action was taken at this hearing.