Republicans today unveiled their redistricting map, calling it an “olive branch” that incorporates ideas Democrats floated when they drew boundaries for Colorado’s congressional districts.
Those Democratic ideas keep Denver whole, put most of Aurora in the 6th Congressional District and keep Longmont in the 4th Congressional District.
The bill will be heard starting at 2 p.m. Thursday in a committee hearing that could set records for how long it goes.
“We believe of all the maps that have been introduced, this is by far the best map for Colorado,” said Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial.
But Democrats question whether the map is competitive or creates safe districts that favor Republicans and keeps them in office as long as they want.
Speaker Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, unveiled the map at a news conference flanked by Balmer and the other four Republicans who sit on a committee charged with drawing new congressional boundaries to reflect population shifts.
Also in attendance were two of the five Democratic members of the redistricting committee, Sen. Rollie Heath of Boulder and Rep. Dan Pabon of Denver.
Despite the talk of an olive branch, there were several well-aimed slaps at various Democrats.
Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, said Senate Democrats haven’t scheduled a hearing for the map they introduced last week because they’re afraid.
“I’m not afraid of anything,” Heath later countered at his own news conference.
And McNulty said Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, and Al Yates, former president of Colorado State University, are trying to draw maps that are good for Democrats but not necessarily good for Colorado.
Heath said he wouldn’t dignify McNulty’s comment with a response.
McNulty has constantly said that the maps Democrats offered were designed to help Shaffer run for Congress in the 4th Congressional District when his Senate term ends in 2012.
Told of McNulty’s charge, Yates said today, “People have a tendency to give some of us a lot more credit than we deserve.”
“There are times I hear of things that I’m involved in that I know nothing about it,” he said. “I really don’t have anything to say about redistricting except I hope that it gets done and we get competitive districts.”
Asked what makes him think Yates is involved, McNulty said Yates’ name keeps popping up throughout this process “at the exact moment things keep falling apart.”
Yates is a close ally of heiress Pat Stryker, who has donated a portion of her fortune to Democratic candidates and causes. Yates said “at some point” he saw maps being “floated” by Democrats but he’s not sure if those were the same maps made public April 15 when Democrats and Republicans on the committee unveiled their proposals.
Heath said he hasn’t talk to Yates in a while about the maps.
Heath also he needs to review the Republicans’ new map, but at least this rendition is a map the five GOP committee members agree on and can explain. He said that wasn’t the case in previous redistricting committee meetings, when Republicans unveiled five maps.
Democrats unveiled six maps they said were competitive, but the GOP howled. The maps paired Boulder and Grand Junction together and Parker and Cortez.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
