IN RE: COLORADO INDEPENDENT LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION

<div data-spec-version="0.0.3dev" data-generated-on="2024-06-07">
<div class="generated-from-iceberg vlex-toc">
<link href="https://doc-stylesheets.vlex.com/ldml-xml.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<div class="ldml-decision"><div class="ldml-decision"><div class="ldml-header header ldml-header content__heading content__heading--depth1" data-content-heading-label="Header" data-refglobal="case:inrecoloradoindependentlegislativeredistrictingcommissioncaseno21sa305513p3d352november15,2021"><p class="ldml-metadata"><span class="ldml-cite"><b class="ldml-bold">513 P.3d 352</b></span></p><p class="ldml-metadata"><b class="ldml-bold"><span class="ldml-party">IN RE: <span class="ldml-name">COLORADO INDEPENDENT LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION</span>, <span class="ldml-role">Petitioner</span></span>.</b></p><p class="ldml-metadata"><b class="ldml-bold">Supreme Court <span class="ldml-cite">Case No. 21SA305</span> </b></p><p class="ldml-metadata"><b class="ldml-bold"><span class="ldml-court">Supreme Court of Colorado</span>.</b></p><p class="ldml-metadata"><span class="ldml-date"><b class="ldml-bold">November 15, 2021</b></span></p></div><div class="ldml-counsel header ldml-header content__heading content__heading--depth1" data-content-heading-label="Counsel"><p data-paragraph-id="163" class="ldml-paragraph no-indent mt-2"><span data-paragraph-id="163" data-sentence-id="163" class="ldml-sentence">Attorneys for <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-role">Petitioner</span></span>: <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawfirm">Law Office of Richard C. Kaufman</span> PC, Inc.</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Richard C. Kaufman</span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity">Centennial, Colorado, Peters Schulte Odil & Wallshein LLC</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Timothy R. Odil</span></span>, Loveland, Colorado, Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions Staff, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Jeremiah B. Barry</span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">H. Pierce Lively</span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Jacob J. Baus</span></span>, Denver, Colorado</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="470" class="ldml-paragraph no-indent mt-2"><span data-paragraph-id="470" data-sentence-id="470" class="ldml-sentence">Attorneys for <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-role">Proponents</span> Colorado Republican Committee</span>, <span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Republican State Senate Caucus</span>, and <span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Republican State House Caucus</span>: <span class="ldml-lawfirm">Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Christopher O. Murray</span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Julian R. Ellis, Jr.</span></span>, Denver, Colorado</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="710" class="ldml-paragraph no-indent mt-2"><span data-paragraph-id="710" data-sentence-id="710" class="ldml-sentence">Attorneys for <span class="ldml-role">Proponent</span> Douglas County Board of County Commissioners: <span class="ldml-lawfirm">Robert McGuire Law Firm</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Robert A. McGuire, III</span></span>, Denver, Colorado</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="845" class="ldml-paragraph no-indent mt-2"><span data-paragraph-id="845" data-sentence-id="845" class="ldml-sentence">Attorneys for <span class="ldml-role">Proponents</span> League of United Latin American Citizens and Colorado League of United Latin American Citizens: <span class="ldml-entity">Eric Maxfield Law, LLC</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Eric Maxfield</span></span>, Boulder, Colorado, Campaign Legal Center, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Mark P. Gaber</span></span>, Washington, <span class="ldml-entity">District of Columbia</span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="1094" class="ldml-paragraph no-indent mt-2"><span data-paragraph-id="1094" data-sentence-id="1094" class="ldml-sentence">Attorneys for Opposer Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization: <span class="ldml-lawfirm">Ballard Spahr LLP</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Chad Jimenez</span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Patrick G. Compton</span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Alexia Chapman</span></span>, Denver, Colorado</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="1263" class="ldml-paragraph no-indent mt-2"><span data-paragraph-id="1263" data-sentence-id="1263" class="ldml-sentence">Attorneys for Opposer Fair Lines Colorado: <span class="ldml-lawfirm">Recht Kornfeld, P.C.</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Mark G. Grueskin</span></span>, Denver, Colorado</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="1362" class="ldml-paragraph no-indent mt-2"><span data-paragraph-id="1362" data-sentence-id="1362" class="ldml-sentence">Attorneys for Opposer <span class="ldml-entity">Lynn Gerber</span>: <span class="ldml-lawfirm">Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">James Spaanstra</span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Douglas Benevento</span></span>, Denver, Colorado</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="1484" class="ldml-paragraph no-indent mt-2"><span data-paragraph-id="1484" data-sentence-id="1484" class="ldml-sentence">Attorneys for Opposer <span class="ldml-entity">Doris Morgan</span>: <span class="ldml-lawfirm">Maven Law Group</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Suzanne Taheri</span></span>, Denver, Colorado</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="1569" class="ldml-paragraph no-indent mt-2"><span data-paragraph-id="1569" data-sentence-id="1569" class="ldml-sentence">Attorneys for Opposer <span class="ldml-entity">Thomas E. Norton</span>: <span class="ldml-lawfirm">Robert McGuire Law Firm</span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-lawyer">Robert A. McGuire, III</span></span>, Denver, Colorado</span></p></div><h2 class="ldml-opinionheading"><span data-paragraph-id="1674" class="ldml-paragraph "><span class="ldml-judgepanel"><span data-paragraph-id="1674" data-sentence-id="1674" class="ldml-sentence">En Banc</span></span></span></h2><div class="ldml-opinion"><p data-paragraph-id="1681" class="ldml-paragraph "><span class="ldml-opinionauthor content__heading content__heading--depth1" data-content-heading-label="Opinion (GABRIEL)"><span data-paragraph-id="1681" data-sentence-id="1681" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">JUSTICE <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-judge">GABRIEL</span></span> <span class="ldml-opiniontype">delivered <span class="ldml-entity">the Opinion of <span class="ldml-entity">the Court</span></span></span></span>.</span></span><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_1732" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="355"></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="1732" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="1732" data-sentence-id="1733" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_1733"><span class="ldml-cite">¶1</span></a></span> This is an original proceeding filed pursuant to <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_1733"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.3 of the Colorado Constitution</span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="1732" data-sentence-id="1839" class="ldml-sentence">In this proceeding, which is a companion case to <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888231617" data-vids="888231617" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_1839"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">In re Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">2021 CO 73</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">497 P.3d 493</span></a></span>, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> review the final legislative redistricting plans for the Colorado Senate and the Colorado House of Representatives <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(the <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Senate Plan"</span> and the <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"House Plan,"</span> and, collectively, the <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Plans"</span>)</span> adopted and submitted to <span class="ldml-entity">us</span> by the <span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(the <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Commission"</span>)</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="1732" data-sentence-id="2286" class="ldml-sentence">Under our <span class="ldml-entity">constitution</span>, our review is a limited one.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="1732" data-sentence-id="2339" class="ldml-sentence">It is not our task to determine whether other plans could have been adopted.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="1732" data-sentence-id="2416" class="ldml-sentence">Nor is it our role to decide whether <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> might have adopted different plans were <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> acting in the first instance.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="1732" data-sentence-id="2529" class="ldml-sentence">Rather, under <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_2529"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.3</span></a></span>, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> must review the Plans to determine whether <span class="ldml-entity">they</span> comply with the criteria listed in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_2529"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1 of article V</span></a></span>, and <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> must approve those Plans unless <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> conclude that the Commission abused its discretion in applying or failing to apply those criteria in light of the record before it.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="2854" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="2854" data-sentence-id="2854" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_2854"><span class="ldml-cite">¶2</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-entity">We</span> now conclude that the Commission did not abuse its discretion here, and <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> thus approve the Plans and order the Commission to file those Plans with the Colorado Secretary of State no later than <span class="ldml-entity">December 29, 2021</span>, as required by <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_2854"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.3<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(5)</span></span></a></span>.</span></p><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth1" data-confidences="very_high" data-value="I. Facts and Procedural History" data-specifier="I" data-id="heading_3115" data-parsed="true" data-format="upper_case_roman_numeral" data-types="background" data-ordinal_end="1" id="heading_3115" data-content-heading-label="I. Facts and Procedural History" data-ordinal_start="1"><span data-paragraph-id="3115" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="3115" data-sentence-id="3115" class="ldml-sentence">I.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="3115" data-sentence-id="3118" class="ldml-sentence">Facts and Procedural History</span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="3146" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="3146" data-sentence-id="3146" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_3146"><span class="ldml-cite">¶3</span></a></span> In <span class="ldml-entity">2018</span>, Colorado voters adopted <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_3146"><span class="ldml-cite">Amendment Z</span></a></span>, which replaced the former <span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Reapportionment Commission</span> with the present Commission.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="3146" data-sentence-id="3286" class="ldml-sentence">The goal of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_3286"><span class="ldml-cite">Amendment Z</span></a></span>, which is now found in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_3286"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, sections 46 through 48.4 of the Colorado Constitution</span></a></span>, was to eliminate partisan politics from the redistricting process and to ensure both that the Commission's deliberations are transparent and open to the public and that the public has substantial opportunities to participate in the process.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="3146" data-sentence-id="3640" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-signal"><i class="ldml-italics">See, e.g.</i></span> , <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_3679,sentence_3286"><span class="ldml-cite">Colo. Const. art. V, § 47</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence">describing the composition of the Commission and the criteria and selection process for commissioners</span>)</span><span class="ldml-referenceseparator">;</span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_3803,sentence_3286"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">id.</i></span> <span class="ldml-cite">§§ 48<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span>, 48.2</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence">providing for public involvement in the redistricting process, including detailed requirements for public hearings, the requirement of a website or comparable means of communicating with the public, and a requirement that all written comments pertaining to redistricting be published, and setting forth deadlines for public comment and public hearings</span>)</span></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="4156" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="4156" data-sentence-id="4156" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_4156"><span class="ldml-cite">¶4 Amendment Z</span></a></span> also sets forth detailed criteria for the preparation, <span class="ldml-entity">amendment</span>, and approval of redistricting plans, including deadlines for the preparation and adoption of preliminary and final plans.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="4156" data-sentence-id="4359" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">See</span> </i><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_4156"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">id.</i></span> <span class="ldml-cite">§ 48.2</span></a></span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="4156" data-sentence-id="4375" class="ldml-sentence">The Commission's work in this regard was substantially hindered, however, by the effects of the <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite">COVID-19</span></a></span> pandemic, and particularly the fact that final census data, which was due to be released on <span class="ldml-entity">April 1, 2021</span>, was not actually received until <span class="ldml-entity">August 12, 2021</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="4156" data-sentence-id="4636" class="ldml-sentence">As a result, pursuant to <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_4636"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.2<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(5)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(c)</span></span></a></span>, the Commission adjusted several <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_4724" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="356"></span> of the deadlines and asked <span class="ldml-entity">this court</span> to establish a revised schedule for the approval of the final Plans.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="4156" data-sentence-id="4832" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">We</span> thereafter exercised our authority under <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_4832"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.3</span></a></span> and adopted a schedule requiring simultaneous briefing from all interested <span class="ldml-entity">parties</span> seven days after the Commission submitted the Plans to <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>, but no later than <span class="ldml-entity">October 22, 2021</span>, with oral argument to be conducted on <span class="ldml-entity">October 25, 2021</span> and <span class="ldml-entity">this court</span> to issue its opinion by the constitutionally mandated <span class="ldml-entity">November 15, 2021</span> deadline.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="4156" data-sentence-id="5230" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">See</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_5293,sentence_4832"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">In re Colo. Indep. Cong. Redistricting Comm'</i></span><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">n</i> , ¶¶ 31–36</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence">addressing the propriety of extending the <span class="ldml-entity">Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission</span>'s deadline to submit its final plan to <span class="ldml-entity">this court</span>, which analysis applies to the Commission's deadline here, as well</span>)</span></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="5504" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="5504" data-sentence-id="5504" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_5504"><span class="ldml-cite">¶5</span></a></span> Notwithstanding the difficult circumstances, the Commission, its nonpartisan staff, its outside <span class="ldml-entity">counsel</span>, and numerous members of the public, interested <span class="ldml-entity">parties</span>, and their <span class="ldml-entity">counsel</span> worked tirelessly to ensure that the process worked as <span class="ldml-entity">the people</span> of Colorado intended, and <span class="ldml-entity">the court</span> expresses its gratitude to all those who participated in this process for their exceptional efforts in these most extraordinary of times.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="5925" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="5925" data-sentence-id="5925" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_5925"><span class="ldml-cite">¶6</span></a></span> The Governor convened the Commission on <span class="ldml-entity">March 30, 2021</span>, and it commenced its work.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="5925" data-sentence-id="6011" class="ldml-sentence">Thereafter, the Commission held 45 meetings and 35 public hearings across <span class="ldml-entity">the state</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(exceeding the number of hearings required by <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_6011"><span class="ldml-cite">Amendment Z</span></a></span>)</span>, and it established a website for public comments where over 5,000 comments were made.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="5925" data-sentence-id="6241" class="ldml-sentence">The Commission's work culminated in its adoption of the House Plan, by a vote of 11 to 1, on <span class="ldml-entity">October 11, 2021</span>, and the Senate Plan, by a vote of 12 to 0, on <span class="ldml-entity">October 12, 2021</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="5925" data-sentence-id="6416" class="ldml-sentence">Thereafter, on <span class="ldml-entity">October 15, 2021</span>, the Commission timely submitted its final Plans to <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>, and on <span class="ldml-entity">October 21, 2021</span>, the Commission filed an errata regarding certain exhibits <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(the Plans and maps, as corrected, are reproduced in the attached appendix)</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="5925" data-sentence-id="6664" class="ldml-sentence">On <span class="ldml-entity">October 22, 2021</span>, the Commission and eight interested <span class="ldml-entity">parties</span> timely filed briefs in support of or opposition to the Plans <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(two of the interested <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"<span class="ldml-entity">parties</span>"</span> were comprised of multiple aligned organizations)</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="5925" data-sentence-id="6874" class="ldml-sentence">And <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> conducted an oral argument on <span class="ldml-entity">October 25, 2021</span>, at which the Commission and four of the interested <span class="ldml-entity">parties</span> presented argument.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="7007" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="7007" data-sentence-id="7007" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_7007"><span class="ldml-cite">¶7</span></a> Of <span class="ldml-entity">the parties</span></span> submitting briefs to <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>, the <span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Republican Committee</span>, <span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Republican State Senate Caucus</span>, and <span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Republican State House Caucus</span>; the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners; and the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Colorado League of United Latin American Citizens <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(collectively, <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Proponents"</span>)</span> urged approval of the Plans.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="7007" data-sentence-id="7385" class="ldml-sentence">The Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-quotation quote">"CLLARO"</span>)</span>; Fair Lines Colorado; <span class="ldml-entity">Ms. Lynn Gerber</span>; <span class="ldml-entity">Ms. Doris Morgan</span>; and former Greeley Mayor, <span class="ldml-entity">State Senator</span>, and Executive Director of the <span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Department of Transportation</span> <span class="ldml-entity">Thomas E. Norton</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(collectively, <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Opposers"</span>)</span> filed briefs urging disapproval, in whole or in part, of the Plans.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="7738" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="7738" data-sentence-id="7738" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_7738"><span class="ldml-cite">¶8</span></a></span> With respect to the Opposers, CLLARO opposes the splitting of the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> into Senate Districts 20 and 22 because, among other things, the Commission did not make findings to support such a split, and to the extent the record speaks to the issue, it discussed only an east-west split and not the final north-south split.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="7738" data-sentence-id="8071" class="ldml-sentence">Fair Lines Colorado opposes the splitting of the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> on similar grounds and further opposes the splitting of <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> into a fifth Senate district, <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 4, viewing that additional split to be unwarranted and unsupported by the record before the Commission.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="7738" data-sentence-id="8360" class="ldml-sentence">Ms. Gerber opposes both the Senate Plan and the House Plan because <span class="ldml-entity">she</span> believes that neither complies with <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_8360"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span></span></a></span>, which requires that the plans adopted by the Commission maximize the number of politically competitive districts to the extent possible.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="7738" data-sentence-id="8632" class="ldml-sentence">Ms. Morgan opposes the split of Pueblo West because <span class="ldml-entity">she</span> asserts that the Commission erred in not recognizing that so-called <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"census-designated place"</span> as a community of interest in itself.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="7738" data-sentence-id="8820" class="ldml-sentence">And Senator Norton opposes the split of the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Greeley</span>, contending that the split <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span> was contrary to the criteria set forth in <span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_8820"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span></span></a></span> <span class="ldml-referenceseparator">;</span></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span> was done for predominantly race-based reasons and therefore violated the Equal Protection Clause of the <span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_8820"><span class="ldml-cite">United States Constitution</span></a></span><span class="ldml-referenceseparator">;</span></span> and <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span> violated <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_9135" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="357"></span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_8820"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span> because it improperly diluted the impact of non-minority voters’ electoral influence.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth1" data-confidences="very_high" data-value="II. Analysis" data-specifier="II" data-id="heading_9251" data-parsed="true" data-format="upper_case_roman_numeral" data-types="analysis" data-ordinal_end="2" id="heading_9251" data-content-heading-label="II. Analysis" data-ordinal_start="2"><span data-paragraph-id="9251" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="9251" data-sentence-id="9251" class="ldml-sentence">II.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="9251" data-sentence-id="9255" class="ldml-sentence">Analysis</span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="9263" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="9263" data-sentence-id="9263" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_9263"><span class="ldml-cite">¶9</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-entity">We</span> begin by setting forth the applicable standard of review.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="9263" data-sentence-id="9327" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">We</span> then note the criteria listed in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_9327"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1</span></a></span>, which form the basis for our review.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="9263" data-sentence-id="9425" class="ldml-sentence">Finally, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> review the Plans’ compliance with each of those criteria, addressing Opposers’ points of dispute in the course of this discussion.</span></p><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth2" data-confidences="very_high" data-value="A. Standard of Review" data-specifier="A" data-id="heading_9567" data-parsed="true" data-format="upper_case_letters" data-types="standardofreview" data-ordinal_end="1" id="heading_9567" data-content-heading-label="A. Standard of Review" data-ordinal_start="1"><span data-paragraph-id="9567" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="9567" data-sentence-id="9567" class="ldml-sentence">A.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="9567" data-sentence-id="9570" class="ldml-sentence">Standard of Review</span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="9588" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="9588" data-sentence-id="9588" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_9588"><span class="ldml-cite">¶10 Article V, section 48.3</span></a></span> guides our review of the Plans now before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="9588" data-sentence-id="9662" class="ldml-sentence">That <span class="ldml-entity">section</span> provides, in pertinent part:</span></p><div class="ldml-embeddeddocument"><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_9703" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="9703" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span> <span class="ldml-entity">The supreme court</span> shall review the submitted plans and determine whether the plans comply with the criteria listed in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_9703"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1</span></a></span> of this <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_9703"><span class="ldml-cite">article V</span></a></span>....</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_9859" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="9859" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span> <span class="ldml-entity">The supreme court</span> shall approve the plans submitted unless it finds that the commission ... abused its discretion in applying or failing to apply the criteria listed in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_9859"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1</span></a></span> of this <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_9859"><span class="ldml-cite">article V</span></a></span>, in light of the record before the commission.</span> <span data-sentence-id="10110" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">The supreme court</span> may consider any maps submitted to the commission in assessing whether the commission ... abused its discretion.</span></blockquote><p data-paragraph-id="10240" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="10240" data-sentence-id="10240" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span></span></p></div><p data-paragraph-id="10243" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="10243" data-sentence-id="10244" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_10244"><span class="ldml-cite">¶11</span></a></span> The Commission abuses its discretion if it <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"applies an erroneous legal standard"</span> or if <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"no competent evidence in the record supports its ultimate decision."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="10243" data-sentence-id="10405" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/890362593" data-vids="890362593" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_10244"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Langer v. Bd. of Comm'rs</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">2020 CO 31</span></a></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_10244"><span class="ldml-cite">¶ 13</span></a></span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/890362593" data-vids="890362593" class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite">462 P.3d 59, 62</span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="10243" data-sentence-id="10467" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">We</span> will conclude that no competent evidence supported the Commission's decision only if that decision was <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"so devoid of evidentiary support that it can only be explained as an arbitrary and capricious exercise of authority."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="10243" data-sentence-id="10692" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/890362593" data-vids="890362593" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_10467"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-cert">quoting</span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/891987191" data-vids="891987191" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_10467"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Freedom Colo. Info., Inc. v. El Paso Cnty. Sheriff's Dep't</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">196 P.3d 892, 900</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-court">Colo.</span> <span class="ldml-date">2008</span>)</span></a></span> )</span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="10243" data-sentence-id="10800" class="ldml-sentence">The ultimate question before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span> is not whether the Commission adopted the <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"best"</span> of the options presented to it or whether <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> might have adopted different plans were <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> acting in the first instance, but rather whether the final adopted Plans <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"fell within the range of reasonable options"</span> available to the Commission in light of the record before it.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="10243" data-sentence-id="11150" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888215470" data-vids="888215470" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_10800"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Hall v. Moreno</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">2012 CO 14</span></a></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_10800"><span class="ldml-cite">¶¶ 54</span></a></span></span>, 56, <span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888215470" data-vids="888215470" class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite">270 P.3d 961, 973–74</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-cert">quoting</span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/893198476" data-vids="893198476" class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">E-470 Pub. Highway Auth. v. Revenig</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">140 P.3d 227, 231</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-court">Colo. App.</span> <span class="ldml-date">2006</span>)</span></a></span> )</span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="10243" data-sentence-id="11297" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-quotation quote">"The choice among alternative plans, each consistent with constitutional requirements, is for the Commission and not <span class="ldml-entity">the Court</span>."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="10243" data-sentence-id="11426" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/891447633" data-vids="891447633" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_11297"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">In re Reapportionment of Colo. Gen. Assembly</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">647 P.2d 191, 194</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-court">Colo.</span> <span class="ldml-date">1982</span>)</span></a></span>.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth2" data-parsed="true" data-value="B. Article V, Section 48.1" data-specifier="B" data-id="heading_11504" data-format="upper_case_letters" data-ordinal_end="2" id="heading_11504" data-content-heading-label="B. Article V, Section 48.1" data-ordinal_start="2"><span data-paragraph-id="11504" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="11504" data-sentence-id="11504" class="ldml-sentence">B.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="11504" data-sentence-id="11507" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_11504"><span class="ldml-cite">Article V, Section 48.1</span></a></span></span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="11530" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="11530" data-sentence-id="11530" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_11530"><span class="ldml-cite">¶12</span></a></span> As noted above, <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_11530"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1</span></a></span> sets forth the criteria that the Commission was to follow in adopting the Plans now before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="11530" data-sentence-id="11669" class="ldml-sentence">That <span class="ldml-entity">section</span> provides:</span></p><div class="ldml-embeddeddocument"><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_11691" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="11691" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span> In adopting a legislative redistricting plan, the commission shall:</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_11762" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="11762" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span> Make a good-faith effort to achieve mathematical population equality between districts, as required by <span class="ldml-entity">the constitution</span> of the United States, but in no event shall there be more than five percent deviation between the most populous and the least populous district in each house.</span> <span data-sentence-id="12045" class="ldml-sentence">Districts must be composed of contiguous geographic areas.</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_12103" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="12103" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span> Comply with the federal <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"<span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_12103"><span class="ldml-cite">Voting Rights Act of 1965</span></a></span>"</span>, <span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_12103" data-refglobal="statute:/us/codes/52/50301"><span class="ldml-cite">52 U.S.C. sec. 50301</span></a></span>, <span class="ldml-opinionnote">as amended</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">[sic; the applicable provision of the <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_12103"><span class="ldml-cite">Voting Rights Act of 1965</span></a></span> is codified at <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/943714629" data-vids="943714629" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_12103"><span class="ldml-cite">52 U.S.C. § 10301</span></a></span> ]</span></span>.</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_12292" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="12292" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span> As much as is reasonably possible, the commission's plan must preserve whole communities of interest and whole political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivisions</span>, such as counties, cities, and towns.</span> <span data-sentence-id="12471" class="ldml-sentence">To facilitate the efficient and effective provision of governmental services, with regard to any county, city, city and county, or town whose population is less than a district's permitted population, the commission shall presume that such county, city, city and county, or town should be wholly contained within a district; except that a division of such county, city, city and county, or town is permitted where, based on a preponderance of the evidence in the record, a community of interest's legislative issues are more essential to the fair and effective representation of residents of the district.</span> <span data-sentence-id="13077" class="ldml-sentence">When the commission divides a county, city, city and county, or town, it <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_13150" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="358"></span> shall minimize the number of divisions of that county, city, city and county, or town.</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_13237" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="13237" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span> Districts must be as compact as is reasonably possible.</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_13296" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="13296" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span> Thereafter, the commission shall, to the extent possible, maximize the number of politically competitive districts.</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_13418" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="13418" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span> In its hearings in various locations in <span class="ldml-entity">the state</span>, the commission shall solicit evidence relevant to competitiveness of elections in Colorado and shall assess such evidence in evaluating proposed maps.</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_13623" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="13623" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(c)</span> When the commission approves a plan, ... the nonpartisan staff shall, within seventy-two hours of such action, make publicly available, and include in the commission's record, a report to demonstrate how the plan reflects the evidence presented to, and the findings concerning, the extent to which competitiveness in district elections is fostered consistent with the other criteria set forth in <span class="ldml-entity">this section</span>.</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_14036" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="14036" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(d)</span> For purposes of this <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_14036"><span class="ldml-cite">subsection <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span></span></a></span>, <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"competitive"</span> means having a reasonable potential for <span class="ldml-entity">the party</span> affiliation of the district's representative to change at least once between federal decennial censuses.</span> <span data-sentence-id="14246" class="ldml-sentence">Competitiveness may be measured by factors such as a proposed district's past election results, a proposed district's political <span class="ldml-entity">party</span> registration data, and evidence-based analyses of proposed districts.</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_14449" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="14449" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span> No map may be approved by the commission or given effect by <span class="ldml-entity">the supreme court</span> if:</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_14534" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="14534" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span> It has been drawn for the purpose of protecting one or more incumbent members, or one or more declared candidates, of the senate or house of representatives, or any political <span class="ldml-entity">party</span>; or</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_14722" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="14722" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span> It has been drawn for the purpose of or results in the denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen to vote on account of that person's race or membership in a language minority group, including diluting the impact of that racial or language minority group's electoral influence.</span></blockquote><p data-paragraph-id="15010" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="15010" data-sentence-id="15010" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span></span></p></div><p data-paragraph-id="15013" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="15013" data-sentence-id="15013" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_15013"><span class="ldml-cite">¶13</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-entity">We</span> proceed to address whether the Commission satisfied its constitutional obligation to ensure that its Plans comply with each of these criteria.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth2" data-parsed="true" data-value="C. Compliance with Constitutional Criteria" data-specifier="C" data-id="heading_15162" data-format="upper_case_letters" data-ordinal_end="3" id="heading_15162" data-content-heading-label="C. Compliance with Constitutional Criteria" data-ordinal_start="3"><span data-paragraph-id="15162" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="15162" data-sentence-id="15162" class="ldml-sentence">C.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="15162" data-sentence-id="15165" class="ldml-sentence">Compliance with Constitutional Criteria</span></b></span></section><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth3" data-parsed="true" data-value="1. Mathematical Population Equality" data-specifier="1" data-id="heading_15204" data-format="number" data-ordinal_end="1" id="heading_15204" data-content-heading-label="1. Mathematical Population Equality" data-ordinal_start="1"><span data-paragraph-id="15204" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="15204" data-sentence-id="15204" class="ldml-sentence">1.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="15204" data-sentence-id="15207" class="ldml-sentence">Mathematical Population Equality</span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="15239" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="15239" data-sentence-id="15239" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_15239"><span class="ldml-cite">¶14</span></a></span> As noted above, <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_15239"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> requires the Commission to <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"<span class="ldml-parenthetical">[m]</span>ake a good-faith effort to achieve mathematical population equality between districts."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="15239" data-sentence-id="15408" class="ldml-sentence">This requirement, derived from the Constitutional requirement of one-person, one-vote, allows for a slight deviation in population equality between state legislative districts, as long as that deviation is no more than a <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"five percent deviation between the most populous and the least populous district in each house."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="15239" data-sentence-id="15727" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_15408"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span> <span class="ldml-referenceseparator">;</span> <i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">see also</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/906156833" data-vids="906156833" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_15823,sentence_15408"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Evenwel v. Abbott</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">578 U.S. 54</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">136 S. Ct. 1120, 1124</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">194 L.Ed.2d 291</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-date">2016</span>)</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence"><span class="ldml-relatingauthority">noting</span> that under the one-person, one-vote requirement, <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"when drawing state and local legislative districts, jurisdictions are permitted to deviate somewhat from perfect population equality to accommodate traditional districting objectives, among them, preserving the integrity of political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivisions</span>, maintaining communities of interest, and creating geographic compactness,"</span> but maximum population deviations between the largest and smallest districts above ten percent are presumptively impermissible</span>)</span></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="16331" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="16331" data-sentence-id="16331" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_16331"><span class="ldml-cite">¶15</span></a></span> No <span class="ldml-entity">party</span> has disputed that the Plans achieve acceptable population equality, and the record supports such a conclusion.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="16331" data-sentence-id="16455" class="ldml-sentence">Specifically, the most populous House district has a population of 90,864, while the least populous House district has a population of 86,485, with an overall deviation range of 4.93 percent.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="16331" data-sentence-id="16647" class="ldml-sentence">And the most populous Senate district has a population of 169,103, while the least populous Senate district has a population of 160,874, with an overall deviation range of 4.99 percent.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="16331" data-sentence-id="16833" class="ldml-sentence">The Commission has also advised that, unlike the <span class="ldml-entity">Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission</span>, it chose to adjust census blocks to reallocate state prisoners to their pre-incarceration residence, and in the case of both the House and Senate districts, the most populous district is less than 5 percent larger than the smallest.</span> <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_17167" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="359"></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="17167" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="17167" data-sentence-id="17168" class="ldml-sentence">No <span class="ldml-entity">party</span> before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span> has challenged the Commission's approach in this regard.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="17243" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="17243" data-sentence-id="17243" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_17243"><span class="ldml-cite">¶16</span></a></span> For these reasons, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> conclude that the Plans have achieved sufficient mathematical population equality under <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_17243"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span>.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth3" data-parsed="true" data-value="2. Contiguous Geographic Areas" data-specifier="2" data-id="heading_17387" data-format="number" data-ordinal_end="2" id="heading_17387" data-content-heading-label="2. Contiguous Geographic Areas" data-ordinal_start="2"><span data-paragraph-id="17387" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="17387" data-sentence-id="17387" class="ldml-sentence">2.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="17387" data-sentence-id="17390" class="ldml-sentence">Contiguous Geographic Areas</span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="17417" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="17417" data-sentence-id="17417" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_17417"><span class="ldml-cite">¶17 Article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> further requires that districts be composed of <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"contiguous geographic areas."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="17417" data-sentence-id="17529" class="ldml-sentence">A review of the maps adopted as part of the Plans shows that the Commission has complied with this requirement, and, again, no <span class="ldml-entity">party</span> disputes this.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth3" data-parsed="true" data-value="3. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965" data-specifier="3" data-id="heading_17676" data-format="number" data-ordinal_end="3" id="heading_17676" data-content-heading-label="3. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965" data-ordinal_start="3"><span data-paragraph-id="17676" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="17676" data-sentence-id="17676" class="ldml-sentence">3.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="17676" data-sentence-id="17679" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_17676"><span class="ldml-cite">Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965</span></a></span></span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="17721" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="17721" data-sentence-id="17721" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_17721"><span class="ldml-cite">¶18 Article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span> requires that the Plans comply with <span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_17721"><span class="ldml-cite">section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-quotation quote">"VRA"</span>)</span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/943714629" data-vids="943714629" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_17721"><span class="ldml-cite">52 U.S.C. § 10301</span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="17721" data-sentence-id="17862" class="ldml-sentence">No <span class="ldml-entity">party</span> disputes that the Plans comply with this requirement, and <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> agree.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="17938" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="17938" data-sentence-id="17938" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_17938"><span class="ldml-cite">¶19</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_17938"><span class="ldml-cite">Section 2<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> of the VRA provides:</span></p><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_17975" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="17975" class="ldml-sentence">No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivision</span> in a manner which results in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color ....</span></blockquote><p data-paragraph-id="18269" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="18269" data-sentence-id="18270" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/943714629" data-vids="943714629" class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite">52 U.S.C. § 10301<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span>.</span></p><div class="ldml-embeddeddocument"><p data-paragraph-id="18291" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="18291" data-sentence-id="18291" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_18291"><span class="ldml-cite">¶20 A</span></a></span> state violates <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_18291"><span class="ldml-cite">section 2<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span></span></p><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_18324" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="18324" class="ldml-sentence">if, based on the totality of the circumstances, it is shown that the political processes leading to nomination or election in <span class="ldml-entity">the State</span> or political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivision</span> are not equally open to participation by members of a <span class="ldml-parenthetical">[racial group]</span> in that its members have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice.</span> <span data-sentence-id="18719" class="ldml-sentence">The extent to which members of a protected class have been elected to office in <span class="ldml-entity">the State</span> or political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivision</span> is one circumstance which may be considered: <i class="ldml-italics">Provided</i> , That nothing in <span class="ldml-entity">this section</span> establishes a right to have members of a protected class elected in numbers equal to their proportion in the population.</span></blockquote></div><p data-paragraph-id="19039" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="19039" data-sentence-id="19039" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/943714629" data-vids="943714629" class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span> <span class="ldml-cite">§ 10301<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="19054" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="19054" data-sentence-id="19055" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19055"><span class="ldml-cite">¶21</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19055"><span class="ldml-cite">Section 2</span></a></span> focuses solely on the consequences of apportionment.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="19054" data-sentence-id="19122" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/887560193" data-vids="887560193" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19055"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Voinovich v. Quilter</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">507 U.S. 146, 155</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">113 S.Ct. 1149</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">122 L.Ed.2d 500</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-date">1993</span>)</span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="19054" data-sentence-id="19204" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Only if the apportionment scheme has the <i class="ldml-italics">effect</i> of denying a protected class the equal opportunity to elect its candidate of choice does it violate <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19204"><span class="ldml-cite">§ 2</span></a></span> ...."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="19054" data-sentence-id="19363" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/887560193" data-vids="887560193" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19204"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="19054" data-sentence-id="19367" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">The Supreme Court</span> has further construed <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19367"><span class="ldml-cite">section 2</span></a></span>'s prohibitions as extending to <span class="ldml-quotation quote">" <span class="ldml-quotation quote">‘vote dilution’</span>—brought about ... by the <span class="ldml-quotation quote">‘dispersal of <span class="ldml-parenthetical">[a group's members]</span> into districts in which <span class="ldml-entity">they</span> constitute an ineffective minority of voters.’</span> "</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="19054" data-sentence-id="19603" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19367" data-refglobal="case:coopervharris,581us285,291,137sct1455,1464,197led2d8372017"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Cooper v. Harris</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">––– U.S. ––––</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">137 S. Ct. 1455, 1464</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">197 L.Ed.2d 837</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-date">2017</span>)</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-cert">quoting</span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888874582" data-vids="888874582" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19367"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Thornburg v. Gingles</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">478 U.S. 30, 46 n.11</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">106 S.Ct. 2752</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">92 L.Ed.2d 25</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-date">1986</span>)</span></a></span> )</span></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="19776" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="19776" data-sentence-id="19776" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19776"><span class="ldml-cite">¶22</span></a></span> In <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888874582" data-vids="888874582" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19776"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Gingles</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">478 U.S. at 50–51</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">106 S.Ct. 2752</span></a></span>, <span class="ldml-entity">the Supreme Court</span> identified three necessary preconditions for proving vote dilution in violation of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19776"><span class="ldml-cite">section 2</span></a></span>: <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span> the minority group must be <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"sufficiently large and geographically compact to constitute a majority"</span> in a district; <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span> the minority group must be <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"politically cohesive"</span>; and <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span> the district's white majority must <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"vote<span class="ldml-parenthetical">[ ]</span> sufficiently as a bloc"</span> to enable it, absent special circumstances, usually to defeat the minority's preferred candidate.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="19776" data-sentence-id="20288" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">See also</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/891114184" data-vids="891114184" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_20399,sentence_19776"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Bartlett v. Strickland</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">556 U.S. 1, 21</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">129 S.Ct. 1231</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">173 L.Ed.2d 173</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-date">2009</span>)</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(plurality opinion)</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence">describing the <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888874582" data-vids="888874582" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19776"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Gingles</i></span></a></span> requirements as <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"preconditions, consistent with the text and purpose of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19776"><span class="ldml-cite">§ 2</span></a></span>, to help <span class="ldml-entity">courts</span> determine which claims could meet the totality-of-the-circumstances standard for <span class="ldml-entity">a <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_19776"><span class="ldml-cite">§ 2</span></a></span> violation</span>"</span></span>)</span></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="20613" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="20613" data-sentence-id="20614" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_20614"><span class="ldml-cite">¶23</span></a></span> As <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> observed in <span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888231617" data-vids="888231617" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_20614"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">In re Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission</i></span></a></span> , <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_20614"><span class="ldml-cite">¶ 48</span></a></span></span>, when these showings are made, states may, consistent with the VRA, provide certain protections for minority voters, including the creation of majority-minority districts, to ensure fair access to the electoral process.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="20613" data-sentence-id="20929" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_20929"><span class="ldml-cite">Section 2</span></a></span> of the VRA, however, does not require a state to draw <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"influence"</span> districts <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(i.e., districts that allow minority voters who cannot form a reasonably compact majority-minority district to be able to influence the outcome between particular <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_21178" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="360"></span> candidates)</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="20613" data-sentence-id="21192" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span> <span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_20929"><span class="ldml-cite">at ¶ 49</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-referenceseparator">;</span> <i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">see also</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888032729" data-vids="888032729" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_21342,sentence_20929"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">League of United Latin Am. Citizens v. Perry</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">548 U.S. 399, 446</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">126 S.Ct. 2594</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">165 L.Ed.2d 609</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-date">2006</span>)</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(plurality opinion)</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-quotation quote"><span class="ldml-embeddedsentence">"The failure to create an influence district in <span class="ldml-entity">these cases</span> thus does not run afoul of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_20929"><span class="ldml-cite">§ 2 of the Voting Rights Act</span></a></span>."</span></span>)</span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="20613" data-sentence-id="21462" class="ldml-sentence">Nor does <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_21462"><span class="ldml-cite">section 2</span></a></span> of the VRA require a state to draw so-called <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"crossover"</span> districts <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(i.e., districts in which the minority population is at least potentially large enough to elect the candidate of its choice with the support of majority-population voters who cross over to support the minority's preferred candidate)</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="20613" data-sentence-id="21782" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_21462"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">In re Colo. Indep. Redistricting Comm'n</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">¶ 50</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-referenceseparator">;</span> <i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">accord</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/891114184" data-vids="891114184" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_21462"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Bartlett</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">556 U.S. at 22</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">129 S.Ct. 1231</span></a></span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="20613" data-sentence-id="21882" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">The Supreme Court</span> has made clear, however, that states may draw such crossover districts when no other prohibition exists.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="20613" data-sentence-id="22005" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/891114184" data-vids="891114184" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_21882"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Bartlett</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">556 U.S. at 24</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">129 S.Ct. 1231</span></a></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="22047" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="22047" data-sentence-id="22048" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_22048"><span class="ldml-cite">¶24</span></a></span> Here, the Commission adopted a policy to guide its VRA investigation and deliberations, and it also retained a VRA expert, <span class="ldml-entity">Dr. Lisa Handley</span>, to ensure its compliance with the VRA.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="22047" data-sentence-id="22232" class="ldml-sentence">These actions made sense in the context of the redistricting at issue here because legislative districting has long implicated VRA compliance issues, given that the size of Colorado legislative districts enables the drawing of compact majority-minority districts.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="22047" data-sentence-id="22496" class="ldml-sentence">Notably, however, the Commission did not ask Dr. Handley to draw minority influence districts throughout Colorado.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="22047" data-sentence-id="22611" class="ldml-sentence">Rather, consistent with the first <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888874582" data-vids="888874582" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_22611"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Gingles</i></span></a></span> requirement, the Commission began by determining whether there were minority groups that were sufficiently large and compact to constitute a majority of a district's voting-age population.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="22047" data-sentence-id="22842" class="ldml-sentence">The Commission then designated a number of areas for analysis by Dr. Handley, and <span class="ldml-entity">she</span> studied these areas to <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span> identify minority-preferred candidates, <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span> determine whether bloc voting occurred in elections involving those candidates, and <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span> estimate the percentage of the Hispanic or minority voting-age population that would be necessary in a given district to elect Hispanic or minority-preferred candidates.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="22047" data-sentence-id="23257" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(For consistency, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> use the term <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Hispanic,"</span> as opposed to the terms <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Latino"</span> or <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Latinx"</span> preferred by some members of this community, because the Commission has used that term.)</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="22047" data-sentence-id="23437" class="ldml-sentence">Because Colorado has not had a statewide minority candidate in a recent election, Dr. Handley analyzed House and Senate races from <span class="ldml-entity">2018</span> and <span class="ldml-entity">2020</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="22047" data-sentence-id="23583" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">She</span> ultimately concluded that, with limited exceptions, those races revealed polarized voting patterns that satisfied the second <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888874582" data-vids="888874582" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_23583"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Gingles</i></span></a></span> requirement.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="22047" data-sentence-id="23733" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">She</span> further concluded, however, that, despite such polarized voting, minority voters in many of these districts have been able to elect their candidates of choice because the districts were crossover districts.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="23943" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="23943" data-sentence-id="23943" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_23943"><span class="ldml-cite">¶25</span></a></span> In conjunction with Dr. Handley's efforts, nonpartisan Commission staff used two methods <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(geographic overlap between the existing and proposed districts and voter overlap between the existing and proposed districts)</span> to apply Dr. Handley's conclusions to the districts adopted in the Plans.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="23943" data-sentence-id="24237" class="ldml-sentence">These efforts confirmed that Colorado currently has seven majority-minority voting-age population House districts and four majority-minority voting-age population Senate districts, and the Plans retain the same numbers of majority-minority districts, respectively.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="24501" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="24501" data-sentence-id="24501" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_24501"><span class="ldml-cite">¶26</span></a></span> The foregoing confirms that the Plans comply with <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_24501"><span class="ldml-cite">section 2</span></a></span> of the VRA, and <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> so conclude.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth3" data-parsed="true" data-value="4. Preservation of Communities of Interest and Political Subdivisions" data-specifier="4" data-id="heading_24596" data-format="number" data-ordinal_end="4" id="heading_24596" data-content-heading-label="4. Preservation of Communities of Interest and Political Subdivisions" data-ordinal_start="4"><span data-paragraph-id="24596" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="24596" data-sentence-id="24596" class="ldml-sentence">4.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="24596" data-sentence-id="24599" class="ldml-sentence">Preservation of Communities of Interest and Political <span class="ldml-entity">Subdivisions</span></span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="24665" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="24665" data-sentence-id="24665" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_24665"><span class="ldml-cite">¶27 Article V, section 48.1 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> requires that, <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"<span class="ldml-parenthetical">[a]</span>s much as is reasonably possible, the commission's plan must preserve whole communities of interest and whole political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivisions</span>, such as counties, cities, and towns."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="24665" data-sentence-id="24891" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">This section</span> further provides that <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"with regard to any county, city, city and county, or town whose population is less than a district's permitted population, the commission shall presume that such county, city, city and county, or town should be wholly contained within a district."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="24665" data-sentence-id="25175" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_24891"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="24665" data-sentence-id="25179" class="ldml-sentence">But <span class="ldml-entity">this section</span> expressly allows for the division of any such political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivision</span> when, <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"based on a preponderance of the evidence in the record, a community of interest's legislative issues are more essential to the fair and effective representation of residents of the district."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="24665" data-sentence-id="25463" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_25179"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="24665" data-sentence-id="25467" class="ldml-sentence">When the commission divides a county, city, city and county, or town, however, it is required <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_25561" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="361"></span> to minimize the number of such divisions.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="24665" data-sentence-id="25604" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_25467"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="25607" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="25607" data-sentence-id="25607" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_25607"><span class="ldml-cite">¶28</span></a></span> As noted above, several Opposers assert that the Commission violated this constitutional requirement.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="25607" data-sentence-id="25713" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">We</span> address their assertions in turn.</span></p><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth4" data-parsed="true" data-value="a. City of Lakewood" data-specifier="a" data-id="heading_25749" data-format="lower_case_letters" data-ordinal_end="1" id="heading_25749" data-content-heading-label="a. City of Lakewood" data-ordinal_start="1"><span data-paragraph-id="25749" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="25749" data-sentence-id="25749" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">a. <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span></b></span></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="25768" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="25768" data-sentence-id="25769" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_25769"><span class="ldml-cite">¶29</span></a></span> CLLARO and Fair Lines Colorado oppose the splitting of the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> into Senate Districts 20 and 22.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="25881" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="25881" data-sentence-id="25881" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_25881"><span class="ldml-cite">¶30</span></a></span> CLLARO contends that the Senate Plan never states that the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> was divided to preserve a community of interest and, to the extent that the record addresses splitting this city, it discussed only an east-west split and not the final north-south split.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="25881" data-sentence-id="26149" class="ldml-sentence">CLLARO further argues that the Senate Plan erroneously stated that the basis for dividing political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivisions</span> was to maintain equal populations between the districts.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="25881" data-sentence-id="26319" class="ldml-sentence">And CLLARO asserts that the Commission erroneously assumed that the Senate Plan need only preserve cities like Lakewood <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"as much as reasonably possible,"</span> whereas <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_26319"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> presumes that cities like Lakewood should be wholly contained within a district.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="26580" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="26580" data-sentence-id="26580" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_26580"><span class="ldml-cite">¶31</span></a></span> Fair Lines Colorado similarly argues that <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span> <span class="ldml-entity">the constitution</span> establishes a presumption that cities like Lakewood must be maintained whole; <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span> the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> has specific policy needs that warrant its unification in one district; and <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span> no countervailing circumstances required, nor did the record otherwise support, the splitting of the city into two Senate districts.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="26962" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="26962" data-sentence-id="26962" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_26962"><span class="ldml-cite">¶32</span></a></span> Of the issues presented to <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>, this issue is the closest and most difficult because, as CLLARO and Fair Lines Colorado observe, the record evidence supporting the Commission's decision in this regard is thin.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="26962" data-sentence-id="27175" class="ldml-sentence">Nonetheless, on the record before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>, and mindful of our limited role in reviewing the Plans presented for our consideration, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> cannot conclude that the splitting of the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> resulted from the application of an erroneous legal standard or was unsupported by competent evidence in the record.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="26962" data-sentence-id="27480" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">See</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/890362593" data-vids="890362593" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_27175"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Langer</i></span></a></span> , <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_27175"><span class="ldml-cite">¶ 13</span></a></span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/890362593" data-vids="890362593" class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite">462 P.3d at 62</span></a></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="27515" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="27515" data-sentence-id="27515" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_27515"><span class="ldml-cite">¶33</span></a></span> The record here reveals that the Commission received comments from at least some <span class="ldml-entity">parties</span>, including Lakewood's mayor and CLLARO itself, requesting that the Commission not divide Lakewood.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="27515" data-sentence-id="27707" class="ldml-sentence">And in a memorandum that it submitted, CLLARO observed that Lakewood's mayor wanted the city to remain <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"as whole as possible,"</span> but, if a split were necessary, the mayor preferred an east-west split.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="27905" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="27905" data-sentence-id="27905" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_27905"><span class="ldml-cite">¶34</span></a></span> Conversely, the Commission received many comments identifying a community of interest between Wheat Ridge and Lakewood, as well as along the Sheridan corridor in Lakewood.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="27905" data-sentence-id="28081" class="ldml-sentence">These commentators noted that the foregoing communities of interest shared, among other concerns, significant transportation problems, compounded by ongoing growth and development, that legislatively aligned residents in these areas.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="27905" data-sentence-id="28315" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-signal"><i class="ldml-italics">See</i></span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_28353,sentence_28081"><span class="ldml-cite">Colo. Const. art. V, § 46 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence">defining <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"<span class="ldml-parenthetical">[c]</span>ommunity of interest"</span> to mean <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"any group in Colorado that shares one or more substantial interests that may be the subject of state <span class="ldml-entity">legislative action</span>, is composed of a reasonably proximate population, and thus should be considered for inclusion within a single district for purposes of ensuring its fair and effective representation"</span></span>)</span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="27905" data-sentence-id="28703" class="ldml-sentence">And although, at oral argument, Fair Lines Colorado took issue with the Commission's characterization of the <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Sheridan corridor"</span> as a community of interest, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> understand the Commission to be referring to <span class="ldml-entity">the people</span> who live and work along that corridor <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(and <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> note that, in its above-mentioned memorandum, CLLARO itself addressed the <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Sheridan corridor"</span> in the context of discussing communities of interest)</span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="29113" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="29113" data-sentence-id="29113" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_29113"><span class="ldml-cite">¶35</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-entity">We</span> acknowledge that the record regarding the Commission's decision to split the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> between Senate Districts 20 and 22 is not ideal, and the Commission could have made a better and more explicit record to support its decision.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="29113" data-sentence-id="29357" class="ldml-sentence">But <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> perceive no requirement that the Commission make express findings to support its ultimate determinations, as Fair Lines Colorado suggests.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="29113" data-sentence-id="29503" class="ldml-sentence">Rather, as noted above, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> must determine whether the Commission applied an erroneous legal standard and whether any competent evidence in the record <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_29653" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="362"></span> supports its ultimate decision.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="29113" data-sentence-id="29686" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/890362593" data-vids="890362593" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_29503"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Langer</i></span></a></span> , <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_29503"><span class="ldml-cite">¶ 13</span></a></span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/890362593" data-vids="890362593" class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite">462 P.3d at 62</span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="29113" data-sentence-id="29717" class="ldml-sentence">Applying that deferential standard here, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> cannot conclude, on the record before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>, that the evidence failed to support the Commission's implicit determination, based on a preponderance of the evidence, that the identified communities of interests’ legislative issues were more essential to the fair and effective representation of the district's residents than keeping the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> undivided.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="30120" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="30120" data-sentence-id="30120" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_30120"><span class="ldml-cite">¶36</span></a></span> In reaching this conclusion, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> acknowledge, as <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> must, that many of the comments addressing the split of the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> were made in the context of discussing either House districts or Congressional districts.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="30120" data-sentence-id="30342" class="ldml-sentence">Nonetheless, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> cannot ignore that these comments are in the record before the Commission and that <span class="ldml-entity">they</span> tend to support a decision to split the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> as the Commission did.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="30120" data-sentence-id="30526" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">We</span> perceive no reason to conclude that the Commission was precluded from considering these comments merely because <span class="ldml-entity">they</span> may have been offered in other contexts.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="30686" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="30686" data-sentence-id="30686" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_30686"><span class="ldml-cite">¶37</span></a></span> Moreover, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> deem it relevant that CLLARO expressly raised many of the issues that it raises before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(and, in fact, submitted its own plan)</span> before the Commission, but the Commission did not accept CLLARO's arguments or its plan.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="30686" data-sentence-id="30921" class="ldml-sentence">This tends to support a conclusion that the Commission, in fact, considered, but chose to reject, alternatives that would have kept Lakewood together in one Senate district.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="31094" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="31094" data-sentence-id="31094" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_31094"><span class="ldml-cite">¶38</span></a></span> Finally, although perhaps not directly relevant to the Commission's determination of communities of interest, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> note that the Commission considered some thirty different plans and <span class="ldml-entity">amendments</span> to plans, many of which split the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> into two <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(or even three)</span> districts.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="31094" data-sentence-id="31377" class="ldml-sentence">The record reveals very little commentary on these proposed plans and no comments between <span class="ldml-entity">October 5, 2021</span> and the adoption of the final Senate Plan either supporting or opposing a split of the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> into two Senate districts.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="31094" data-sentence-id="31614" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">These circumstances</span> weigh against a conclusion that the Commission acted arbitrarily or capriciously in proceeding with a Plan that splits the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="31774" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="31774" data-sentence-id="31774" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_31774"><span class="ldml-cite">¶39</span></a></span> Accordingly, although <span class="ldml-entity"><span class="ldml-entity">we</span> view</span> the issue as close, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> ultimately perceive no abuse of discretion in the Commission's decision to split the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Lakewood</span> between Senate Districts 20 and 22.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth4" data-parsed="true" data-value="b. Senate District 4" data-specifier="b" data-id="heading_31968" data-format="lower_case_letters" data-ordinal_end="2" id="heading_31968" data-content-heading-label="b. Senate District 4" data-ordinal_start="2"><span data-paragraph-id="31968" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="31968" data-sentence-id="31968" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">b. <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 4</b></span></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="31988" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="31988" data-sentence-id="31989" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_31989"><span class="ldml-cite">¶40</span></a></span> Fair Lines Colorado further opposes the splitting of <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> into a fifth Senate district, <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 4.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="31988" data-sentence-id="32112" class="ldml-sentence">As Fair Lines Colorado observes, five populated segments of <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> were placed in different Senate districts, namely, Senate Districts 4, 16, 19, 20, and 22.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="31988" data-sentence-id="32280" class="ldml-sentence">Fair Lines Colorado states that, based on the ideal population of a Senate district, <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> could have been divided into four districts, but the Commission adopted a five-way split, with just under 30,000 residents of that county grouped into <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 4 with residents of Custer, Fremont, Lake, Chaffee, Park, Teller, and Douglas Counties.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="31988" data-sentence-id="32637" class="ldml-sentence">Fair Lines Colorado contends that no coherent community of interest exists among these counties and thus linking them is not more essential to the fair and effective representation of district residents than keeping the approximately 30,000 <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> residents assigned to <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 4 together with <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> residents in one of the other four districts.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="31988" data-sentence-id="33012" class="ldml-sentence">Fair Lines Colorado thus requests that <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> disapprove the Senate Plan and return that Plan to the Commission with instructions that the Commission either provide an adequate explanation for the additional split or reassign the approximately 30,000 <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> residents placed in <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 4 to one of the other districts of <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> residents.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="31988" data-sentence-id="33375" class="ldml-sentence">For several reasons, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> are unpersuaded.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="33415" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="33415" data-sentence-id="33415" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_33415"><span class="ldml-cite">¶41</span></a></span> First, it is unclear to <span class="ldml-entity">us</span> that <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_33415"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> even applies in this circumstance, when the population of the county indisputably requires that the county be split and the issue is the number of divisions.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="33415" data-sentence-id="33639" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_33639"><span class="ldml-cite">Section 48.1 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> concerns the scenario in which a political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivision</span>'s population is less than a district's permitted population.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="33415" data-sentence-id="33775" class="ldml-sentence">Those are not the facts here.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="33804" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="33804" data-sentence-id="33805" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_33805"><span class="ldml-cite">¶42</span></a></span> Second, even if <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_33805"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> does apply, as noted above, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> perceive no requirement that the Commission make express <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_33932" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="363"></span> findings to justify its decision to divide a political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivision</span> like <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span>, as long as competent evidence in the record supports that decision.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="33804" data-sentence-id="34091" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">See</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/890362593" data-vids="890362593" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_33805"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Langer</i></span></a></span> , <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_33805"><span class="ldml-cite">¶ 13</span></a></span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/890362593" data-vids="890362593" class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite">462 P.3d at 62</span></a></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="34126" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="34126" data-sentence-id="34126" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_34126"><span class="ldml-cite">¶43</span></a></span> Third, and in any event, the record sufficiently supports the Commission's decision to divide <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> as it did.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="34126" data-sentence-id="34252" class="ldml-sentence">Specifically, the Commission has stated that it needed to place additional <span class="ldml-entity">people</span> in <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 4 to meet the constitutional population requirement, and going anywhere but <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> would have required the Commission to divide counties that have a smaller population than a Senate district, which <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_34252"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> presumptively precludes.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="34126" data-sentence-id="34605" class="ldml-sentence">Additionally, the Commission has explained that attempting to draw population from elsewhere would likely have resulted in dividing some communities of interest that the Commission was seeking to preserve in one Senate district.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="34126" data-sentence-id="34834" class="ldml-sentence">And the Commission has indicated that its decision to place the southern portions of <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> into <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 4 was further supported by public comments suggesting that this area had a community of interest along U.<span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_34834" data-refglobal="statute:/ca/statutes/stshighcode/285"><span class="ldml-cite">S. Highway 285</span></a></span> and had legislative interests different from the suburban areas of <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="35161" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="35161" data-sentence-id="35161" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_35161"><span class="ldml-cite">¶44</span></a></span> Each of the foregoing reasons given by the Commission for placing the approximately 30,000 <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span> residents into <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 4 is amply supported by evidence in the record, and <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> thus perceive no abuse of discretion in the Commission's decision so to split <span class="ldml-entity">Jefferson County</span>.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth4" data-parsed="true" data-value="c. Pueblo West" data-specifier="c" data-id="heading_35454" data-format="lower_case_letters" data-ordinal_end="3" id="heading_35454" data-content-heading-label="c. Pueblo West" data-ordinal_start="3"><span data-paragraph-id="35454" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="35454" data-sentence-id="35454" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">c. Pueblo West</b></span></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="35468" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="35468" data-sentence-id="35469" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_35469"><span class="ldml-cite">¶45</span></a></span> Ms. Morgan opposes the split of Pueblo West into separate House districts.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="35468" data-sentence-id="35548" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">She</span> contends that Pueblo West is a so-called <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"census-designated place,"</span> which <span class="ldml-entity">she</span> defines as a geographic entity representing closely settled, unincorporated communities that are locally recognized and identified by name.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="35468" data-sentence-id="35770" class="ldml-sentence">In Ms. Morgan's view, Pueblo West is statistically the equivalent of an incorporated city or town, and therefore the Commission was required to keep it within a single House district.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="35468" data-sentence-id="35954" class="ldml-sentence">Assuming without deciding that the Commission was required to treat Pueblo West as a political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivision</span> for purposes of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_35954"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span>, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> are unpersuaded by Ms. Morgan's argument.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="36152" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="36152" data-sentence-id="36152" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_36152"><span class="ldml-cite">¶46</span></a></span> The Commission concedes that it could have placed Pueblo West in a single House district.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="36152" data-sentence-id="36246" class="ldml-sentence">The Commission states, however, that it split Pueblo West into two House districts in order to preserve communities of interest.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="36152" data-sentence-id="36375" class="ldml-sentence">Specifically, the Commission notes that outside of <span class="ldml-entity">Pueblo County</span>, <span class="ldml-entity">House District</span> 47 follows county lines and maintains communities of interest in southeastern Colorado.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="36152" data-sentence-id="36544" class="ldml-sentence">The Commission further observes that, if <span class="ldml-entity">House District</span> 47 included all of Pueblo West, then, due to House district population limits, the Commission would not have been able to maintain these communities of interest and would either have had to split counties or lose counties that are a part of that community of interest.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="36152" data-sentence-id="36869" class="ldml-sentence">Alternatively, if <span class="ldml-entity">House District</span> 47 included none of Pueblo West, then the Commission would have had to include counties in other areas of <span class="ldml-entity">the state</span> and split those other communities of interest.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="36152" data-sentence-id="37065" class="ldml-sentence">By splitting Pueblo West instead, the Commission was able to minimize the extent to which <span class="ldml-entity">House District</span> 60 split Chaffee and Park Counties and their associated communities of interest.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="37250" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="37250" data-sentence-id="37250" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_37250"><span class="ldml-cite">¶47</span></a></span> Because these reasons, too, are sufficiently supported by the record before the Commission, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> perceive no abuse of discretion in the Commission's decision to split Pueblo West.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth4" data-parsed="true" data-value="d. City of Greeley" data-specifier="d" data-id="heading_37431" data-format="lower_case_letters" data-ordinal_end="4" id="heading_37431" data-content-heading-label="d. City of Greeley" data-ordinal_start="4"><span data-paragraph-id="37431" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="37431" data-sentence-id="37431" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">d. <span class="ldml-entity">City of Greeley</span></b></span></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="37449" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="37449" data-sentence-id="37450" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_37450"><span class="ldml-cite">¶48</span></a></span> Senator Norton opposes the split of the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Greeley</span> into two Senate districts, Senate Districts 1 and 13.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="37449" data-sentence-id="37564" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">He</span> contends, among other things, that the split was contrary to the criteria set forth in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_37564"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span></span></a></span> and was done for predominantly race-based reasons and therefore violated the Equal Protection Clause of the <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_37564"><span class="ldml-cite">United States Constitution</span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="37449" data-sentence-id="37817" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">We</span> disagree.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="37829" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="37829" data-sentence-id="37829" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_37829"><span class="ldml-cite">¶49</span></a></span> Evidence in the record established a substantial divide between East and West Greeley.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="37829" data-sentence-id="37920" class="ldml-sentence">East Greeley, like the <span class="ldml-entity">town of Evans</span> to its south, is more industrial than West Greeley.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="37829" data-sentence-id="38009" class="ldml-sentence">Both East Greeley and Evans have substantial immigrant populations.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="37829" data-sentence-id="38077" class="ldml-sentence">East <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_38082" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="364"></span> Greeley is home to many refugees who work in agricultural processing plants and oil and gas operations.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="37829" data-sentence-id="38187" class="ldml-sentence">And East Greeley's K–12 school system faces unique challenges to meet educational needs due to the many different languages spoken by its students.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="37829" data-sentence-id="38335" class="ldml-sentence">In all of these regards, East Greeley shares many legislative concerns with the other residents placed in <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 13, and these shared legislative concerns, as well as the fact that <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 13 is home to a substantial Hispanic population with a shared community of interest, justified splitting East Greeley from West Greeley and placing it in <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 13.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="38714" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="38714" data-sentence-id="38714" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_38714"><span class="ldml-cite">¶50</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-entity">We</span> likewise are unpersuaded by Senator Norton's argument that the Commission split Greeley for predominantly racial reasons <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(namely, to increase the Hispanic population in <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 13)</span> and that this violated the Equal Protection Clause of the <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_38714"><span class="ldml-cite">United States Constitution</span></a></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="38995" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="38995" data-sentence-id="38996" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_38996"><span class="ldml-cite">¶51</span></a></span> The Equal Protection Clause is implicated when, in the course of redistricting, race-neutral reasons for drawing district lines are subordinated to predominantly racial ones.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="38995" data-sentence-id="39175" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">See</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/891897709" data-vids="891897709" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_39254,sentence_38996"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Shaw v. Hunt</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">517 U.S. 899, 907</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">116 S.Ct. 1894</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">135 L.Ed.2d 207</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-date">1996</span>)</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence"><span class="ldml-relatingauthority">noting</span> that strict scrutiny applies when race is the predominant factor in drawing district lines, such that traditional race-neutral districting principles are subordinated to racial considerations</span>)</span><span class="ldml-referenceseparator">;</span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_39539,sentence_38996" data-refglobal="case:millervjohnson,515us900,944,115sct2475,132led2d7621995ginsberg,j,joinedbystevens,breyersouter,jj,dissenting"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Miller v. Johnson</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">515 U.S. 900, 916, 920</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">115 S.Ct. 2475</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">132 L.Ed.2d 762</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-date">1995</span>)</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence"><span class="ldml-relatingauthority">noting</span> that <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span> <span class="ldml-entity">a plaintiff</span> challenging a redistricting plan on race-based grounds must prove that race was the <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"predominant factor"</span> motivating the decision to place a significant number of voters inside or outside a particular district; <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span> to make this showing, <span class="ldml-entity">the plaintiff</span> must prove that <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"the <span class="ldml-entity">legislature</span> subordinated traditional race-neutral districting principles ... to racial considerations"</span>; and <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span> when race was the predominant factor in the districting decision, the plan cannot be upheld unless it satisfies strict scrutiny</span>)</span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="38995" data-sentence-id="40080" class="ldml-sentence">But that is not what happened here.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="38995" data-sentence-id="40116" class="ldml-sentence">The Commission did not split Greeley predominantly to increase the Hispanic population in <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 13, as Senator Norton contends.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="38995" data-sentence-id="40254" class="ldml-sentence">To the contrary, for the reasons discussed above, the Commission split Greeley because the evidence established that legislative issues of various communities of interest were more essential to the fair and effective representation of the district's residents.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="38995" data-sentence-id="40515" class="ldml-sentence">Such considerations have long been held to be race neutral.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="38995" data-sentence-id="40575" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">See</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_40622,sentence_40515" data-refglobal="case:millervjohnson,515us900,944,115sct2475,132led2d7621995ginsberg,j,joinedbystevens,breyersouter,jj,dissenting"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Miller</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">515 U.S. at 916</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">115 S.Ct. 2475</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence">describing compactness, contiguity, and respect for political <span class="ldml-entity">subdivisions</span> or communities of interest as <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"traditional race-neutral districting principles"</span></span>)</span><span class="ldml-referenceseparator">;</span> <i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">see also</span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_40793,sentence_40515" data-refglobal="case:millervjohnson,515us900,944,115sct2475,132led2d7621995ginsberg,j,joinedbystevens,breyersouter,jj,dissenting"><span class="ldml-cite">id.</span></a></span></i> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence"><span class="ldml-relatingauthority">noting</span> that <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(1)</span> <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"<span class="ldml-parenthetical">[r]</span>edistricting legislatures will ... almost always be aware of racial demographics; but it does not follow that race predominates in the redistricting process"</span>; and <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span> when race-neutral considerations formed the basis for the redistricting decision and were not subordinated to race, a state can defeat a claim of racial gerrymandering</span>)</span><span class="ldml-referenceseparator">;</span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_41189,sentence_40515"><span class="ldml-cite">Colo. Const. art. V, § 46 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(III)</span></span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence"><span class="ldml-relatingauthority">noting</span> that racial, ethnic, and language minority groups may comprise a community of interest</span>)</span></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="41284" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="41284" data-sentence-id="41284" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_41284"><span class="ldml-cite">¶52</span></a></span> For these reasons, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> conclude that the Commission's decision to split the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Greeley</span> did not violate either the requirements of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_41284"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span></span></a></span> or Equal Protection principles.</span></p></div></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth3" data-parsed="true" data-value="5. Compactness" data-specifier="5" data-id="heading_41483" data-format="number" data-ordinal_end="5" id="heading_41483" data-content-heading-label="5. Compactness" data-ordinal_start="5"><span data-paragraph-id="41483" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="41483" data-sentence-id="41483" class="ldml-sentence">5.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="41483" data-sentence-id="41486" class="ldml-sentence">Compactness</span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="41497" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="41497" data-sentence-id="41497" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_41497"><span class="ldml-cite">¶53 Article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span> requires that <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"<span class="ldml-parenthetical">[d]</span>istricts must be as compact as is reasonably possible."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="41497" data-sentence-id="41605" class="ldml-sentence">No one has challenged the Commission's Plans on this ground, and <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> likewise conclude that the Commission has satisfied this criterion.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="41740" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="41740" data-sentence-id="41741" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_41741"><span class="ldml-cite">¶54</span></a></span> Compactness is defined as <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"a geographic area whose boundaries are as nearly equidistant as possible from the geographic center of the area being considered, allowing for variances caused by population density and distribution, census enumeration districts, and reasonable variations necessitated by natural boundaries and by county lines."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="41740" data-sentence-id="42085" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/887972657" data-vids="887972657" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_41741"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Acker v. Love</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">178 Colo. 175</span>, <span class="ldml-cite">496 P.2d 75, 76</span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-date">1972</span>)</span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="41740" data-sentence-id="42140" class="ldml-sentence">The goal of this criterion is to <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"promote <span class="ldml-quotation quote">‘fair and effective representation’</span> by implicitly recognizing that the more densely located a representative's constituents, the easier it is to travel across and to physically engage with the district."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="41740" data-sentence-id="42386" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888215470" data-vids="888215470" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_42140"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">Hall</i></span></a></span> , <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_42140"><span class="ldml-cite">¶ 51</span></a></span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888215470" data-vids="888215470" class="ldml-reference"><span class="ldml-cite">270 P.3d at 972</span></a></span>.<span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_42415" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="365"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="42415" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="42415" data-sentence-id="42416" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_42416"><span class="ldml-cite">¶55</span></a></span> Here, the Commission developed and implemented a policy under which it and its staff were to use certain established methods to measure the compactness of the districts in the final Plans, as well as drive times required to traverse large rural districts.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="42415" data-sentence-id="42676" class="ldml-sentence">The Commission then produced reports establishing that the Commission drew the geographically largest House and Senate districts to ensure that the districts could be traversed with the least amount of drive time possible <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(here, from four to five-and-one-half hours for these very large districts)</span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="42415" data-sentence-id="42975" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">We</span> are convinced that in drawing such districts, the Commission has complied with the compactness requirement of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_42975"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(2)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span>.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth3" data-parsed="true" data-value="6. Competitiveness" data-specifier="6" data-id="heading_43107" data-format="number" data-ordinal_end="6" id="heading_43107" data-content-heading-label="6. Competitiveness" data-ordinal_start="6"><span data-paragraph-id="43107" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="43107" data-sentence-id="43107" class="ldml-sentence">6.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="43107" data-sentence-id="43110" class="ldml-sentence">Competitiveness</span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="43125" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="43125" data-sentence-id="43125" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_43125"><span class="ldml-cite">¶56 Article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span> of the Colorado Constitution</span></a></span> provides, <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Thereafter, the commission shall, to the extent possible, maximize the number of politically competitive districts."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="43125" data-sentence-id="43316" class="ldml-sentence">The word <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"<span class="ldml-parenthetical">[t]</span>hereafter"</span> plainly signals that the Commission is to address this criterion only after it has addressed all of the criteria that precede it in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_43316"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1</span></a></span> and that <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> have addressed above.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="43125" data-sentence-id="43519" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_43519"><span class="ldml-cite">Section 48.1 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span> further requires that in its hearings in various locations around <span class="ldml-entity">the state</span>, the Commission is to solicit evidence relevant to competitiveness of elections in Colorado and to assess that evidence in evaluating proposed maps.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="43125" data-sentence-id="43764" class="ldml-sentence">And <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_43764"><span class="ldml-cite">Section 48.1 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(c)</span></span></a></span> requires, among other things, that nonpartisan Commission staff include in the Commission's record a report demonstrating <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"how the plan reflects the evidence presented to, and the findings concerning, the extent to which competitiveness in district elections is fostered consistent with the other criteria set forth in <span class="ldml-entity">this section</span>."</span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="44121" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="44121" data-sentence-id="44121" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_44121"><span class="ldml-cite">¶57</span></a></span> For purposes of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_44121"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span></span></a></span>, competitiveness means <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"having a reasonable potential for <span class="ldml-entity">the party</span> affiliation of the district's representative to change at least once between federal decennial censuses."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="44121" data-sentence-id="44331" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_44121"><span class="ldml-cite">Colo. Const. art. V, § 48.1 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(d)</span></span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="44121" data-sentence-id="44367" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-quotation quote">"Competitiveness may be measured by factors such as a proposed district's past election results, a proposed district's political <span class="ldml-entity">party</span> registration data, and evidence-based analyses of proposed districts."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="44121" data-sentence-id="44573" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_44367"><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">Id.</i></span></a></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="44576" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="44576" data-sentence-id="44577" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_44577"><span class="ldml-cite">¶58</span></a></span> Here, the record reflects that the Commission complied with the above-noted mandates to solicit evidence and prepare and place in the record a report regarding how the Plans comply with <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_44577"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(3)</span></span></a></span>’s competitiveness requirement, and no <span class="ldml-entity">party</span> disputes that the Commission complied with these requirements.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="44889" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="44889" data-sentence-id="44889" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_44889"><span class="ldml-cite">¶59</span></a></span> In addition, the record shows that the Commission requested and received a so-called <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"ensemble analysis"</span> prepared by <span class="ldml-entity">Dr. Jeanne Clelland</span> of the University of Colorado, <span class="ldml-entity">Drs. Beth Malmskog</span> and <span class="ldml-entity">Flavia Sancier-Barbosa</span> of Colorado College, and <span class="ldml-entity">Dr. Daryl DeFord of <span class="ldml-entity">Washington State University</span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="44889" data-sentence-id="45181" class="ldml-sentence">In an ensemble analysis, a particular district plan is compared to a large collection of randomly generated, legally valid plans, referred to as an <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"ensemble"</span> of plans.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="44889" data-sentence-id="45350" class="ldml-sentence">Here, this analysis entailed having the outside experts generate over two million possible redistricting plans and prepare a statistical analysis of those plans.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="44889" data-sentence-id="45512" class="ldml-sentence">The Commission then compared the competitiveness results of the actual plans that it had considered to the ensemble of more than two million plans to confirm that the Plans at issue maximized competitiveness, and the Commission determined that the districts drawn in its Plans fell within the expected statistical ranges for competitiveness.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="45853" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="45853" data-sentence-id="45854" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_45854"><span class="ldml-cite">¶60</span></a></span> Notwithstanding the foregoing, Ms. Gerber contends that the Commission abused its discretion in adopting the Plans at issue because the Plans did not maximize the districts’ competitiveness.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="45853" data-sentence-id="46049" class="ldml-sentence">In support of this argument, Ms. Gerber points out that other plans before the Commission had more competitive districts than the Plans that the Commission ultimately adopted.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="46224" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="46224" data-sentence-id="46224" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_46224"><span class="ldml-cite">¶61</span></a></span> Although it may well be true that other plans submitted to the Commission contained more competitive districts than the Plans now before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>, the Commission was not required to adopt the plans with the most competitive districts.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="46224" data-sentence-id="46457" class="ldml-sentence">Rather, as mentioned, after considering all of the above criteria, the Commission was required to maximize the number of politically competitive districts <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"to the extent possible."</span></span> <span data-paragraph-id="46224" data-sentence-id="46638" class="ldml-sentence">In light of the foregoing, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> are convinced that the Commission complied <span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_46711" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="366"></span> with its obligation to apply all of the criteria discussed above and then to maximize the number of politically competitive districts to the extent possible.</span></p></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth3" data-parsed="true" data-value="7. Remaining Criteria" data-specifier="7" data-id="heading_46869" data-format="number" data-ordinal_end="7" id="heading_46869" data-content-heading-label="7. Remaining Criteria" data-ordinal_start="7"><span data-paragraph-id="46869" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="46869" data-sentence-id="46869" class="ldml-sentence">7.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="46869" data-sentence-id="46872" class="ldml-sentence">Remaining Criteria</span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="46890" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="46890" data-sentence-id="46890" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_46890"><span class="ldml-cite">¶62</span></a></span> Finally, <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_46890"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span></span></a></span> provides that no map may be approved by the Commission or be given effect by <span class="ldml-entity">this court</span> if:</span></p><div class="ldml-embeddeddocument"><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_47021" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="47021" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(a)</span> It has been drawn for the purpose of protecting one or more incumbent members, or one or more declared candidates, of the senate or house of representatives, or any political <span class="ldml-entity">party</span>; or</span></blockquote><blockquote data-paragraph-id="b_47209" class="ldml-blockquote"><span data-sentence-id="47209" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span> It has been drawn for the purpose of or results in the denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen to vote on account of that person's race or membership in a language minority group, including diluting the impact of that racial or language minority group's electoral influence.</span></blockquote></div><p data-paragraph-id="47497" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="47497" data-sentence-id="47497" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_47497"><span class="ldml-cite">¶63</span></a></span> As to the first of these criteria, the Commission and its non-partisan staff have affirmed on the record that the Plans were not drawn for the purpose of protecting any incumbent members of the Colorado Senate or House of Representatives, any declared candidates, or any political <span class="ldml-entity">party</span>, and no one has asserted otherwise.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="47823" class="ldml-paragraph "> <span data-paragraph-id="47823" data-sentence-id="47824" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_47824"><span class="ldml-cite">¶64</span></a></span> As to the second of these criteria, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> note, as an initial matter, that the language of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_47824"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span> mirrors the language in the analogous provision in the Congressional redistricting provisions of the <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_47824"><span class="ldml-cite">Colorado Constitution</span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="47823" data-sentence-id="48060" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-signal"><i class="ldml-italics">See</i></span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_47824"><span class="ldml-cite">Colo. Const. art. V, § 44.3 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="47823" data-sentence-id="48100" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity">We</span> therefore will construe the language in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_48100"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span> consistent with the language in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_48100"><span class="ldml-cite">section 44.3 <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="47823" data-sentence-id="48216" class="ldml-sentence">Accordingly, for the reasons set forth in our <span class="ldml-entity">opinion in <span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-entity"><a href="/vid/888231617" data-vids="888231617" class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_48216"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">In re Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission</i></span></a></span> , <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_48216"><span class="ldml-cite">¶¶ 63–68</span></a></span></span></span>, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> now conclude that <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_48216"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span> is coextensive with the applicable VRA provisions as <span class="ldml-entity">they</span> existed in <span class="ldml-entity">2018</span> and establishes no further requirements for the Commission.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="47823" data-sentence-id="48536" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><span class="ldml-signal"><i class="ldml-italics">See also</i></span> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="embeddedsentence_48651,sentence_48216"><span class="ldml-refname">Legis. Council, Colo. Gen. Assembly, Rsch. Pub. No. 702-2, <i class="ldml-italics">2018 State Ballot Information Booklet</i></span> , <span class="ldml-cite">at 24</span></a></span> <span class="ldml-parenthetical">(<span class="ldml-embeddedsentence"><span class="ldml-relatingauthority">explaining</span> the provisions of <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_48216"><span class="ldml-cite">Amendment Z</span></a></span> and mirroring the explanations of the analogous Congressional redistricting provisions</span>)</span></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="47823" data-sentence-id="48781" class="ldml-sentence">As a result, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> presume that in adopting the phrase <span class="ldml-quotation quote">"including diluting the impact of that racial or language minority group's electoral influence"</span> in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_48781"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span>, Colorado voters were referring to the then-existing protections against voter influence that were encompassed in the VRA.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="47823" data-sentence-id="49085" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-referencechain"><i class="ldml-italics"><span class="ldml-signal">See</span> </i> <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_48781"><span class="ldml-refname"><i class="ldml-italics">In re Colo. Indep. Cong. Redistricting Comm'</i></span><span class="ldml-cite"><i class="ldml-italics">n</i> , ¶¶ 63–68</span></a></span></span>.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="49147" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="49147" data-sentence-id="49147" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_49147"><span class="ldml-cite">¶65</span></a></span> Applying the foregoing principles here, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> note that, for the reasons set forth above, the Commission has complied with <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_49147"><span class="ldml-cite">section 2</span></a></span> of the VRA.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="49147" data-sentence-id="49293" class="ldml-sentence">Moreover, with the exception of Senator Norton, no <span class="ldml-entity">party</span> has argued that the Plans before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span> have resulted in vote dilution, as <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> have previously defined that term, and <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> thus proceed to address Senator Norton's assertion.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="49517" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="49517" data-sentence-id="49517" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_49517"><span class="ldml-cite">¶66</span></a></span> Senator Norton contends that in splitting the <span class="ldml-entity">City of Greeley</span> as it did, the Commission violated <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_49517"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span><span class="ldml-parenthetical">(b)</span></span></a></span> because it diluted the electoral influence of non-Hispanic voters in <span class="ldml-entity">Senate District</span> 13.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="49517" data-sentence-id="49726" class="ldml-sentence">Senator Norton, however, has offered no substantive legal analysis in support of such an assertion.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="49517" data-sentence-id="49826" class="ldml-sentence">Nor has <span class="ldml-entity">he</span> pointed to any evidence in the record to support his contention, and <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> have seen none.</span></p><p data-paragraph-id="49924" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="49924" data-sentence-id="49924" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_49924"><span class="ldml-cite">¶67</span></a></span> Accordingly, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> conclude that the Commission did not violate <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_49924"><span class="ldml-cite">section 48.1<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(4)</span></span></a></span> in approving the Plans now before <span class="ldml-entity">us</span>, and therefore, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> may properly give effect to those Plans.</span></p></div></div></div><div class="ldml-section"><section class="ldml-heading content__heading content__heading--depth1" data-confidences="very_high" data-value="III. Conclusion" data-specifier="III" data-id="heading_50101" data-parsed="true" data-format="upper_case_roman_numeral" data-types="conclusion" data-ordinal_end="3" id="heading_50101" data-content-heading-label="III. Conclusion" data-ordinal_start="3"><span data-paragraph-id="50101" class="ldml-paragraph "><b class="ldml-bold"><span data-paragraph-id="50101" data-sentence-id="50101" class="ldml-sentence">III.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="50101" data-sentence-id="50106" class="ldml-sentence">Conclusion</span></b></span></section><p data-paragraph-id="50116" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50116" data-sentence-id="50116" class="ldml-sentence"><span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_50116"><span class="ldml-cite">¶68</span></a></span> For these reasons, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> conclude that the Commission did not abuse its discretion in applying the criteria set forth in <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_50116"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.1 of the Colorado Constitution</span></a></span>.</span> <span data-paragraph-id="50116" data-sentence-id="50292" class="ldml-sentence">Accordingly, <span class="ldml-entity">we</span> approve the Plans submitted to <span class="ldml-entity">us</span> and direct the Commission to file those Plans with the Secretary of State no later than <span class="ldml-entity">December 29, 2021</span>, as required by <span class="ldml-entity"><a class="ldml-reference" data-prop-ids="sentence_50292"><span class="ldml-cite">article V, section 48.3<span class="ldml-parenthetical">(5)</span></span></a></span> of our <span class="ldml-entity">constitution</span>.</span></p></div></div><span class="ldml-appendix"><p data-paragraph-id="50511" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50511" data-sentence-id="50511" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">APPENDIX</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_50519" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="367"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="50519" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50519" data-sentence-id="50519" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado Senate Districts Statewide — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_50576" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="368"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="50576" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50576" data-sentence-id="50576" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado Senate Districts Denver Metro Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_50641" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="369"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="50641" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50641" data-sentence-id="50641" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado Senate Districts South Denver Metro Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_50712" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="370"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="50712" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50712" data-sentence-id="50712" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado Senate Districts North Denver Metro Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_50783" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="371"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="50783" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50783" data-sentence-id="50783" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado Senate Districts North 1-25 Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_50846" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="372"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="50846" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50846" data-sentence-id="50846" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold"><span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Senate Districts Douglas County</span> — Final Approved Plan</b></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="50908" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50908" data-sentence-id="50908" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold"><span class="ldml-entity">Colorado Senate Districts El Paso County</span> — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_50970" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="374"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="50970" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="50970" data-sentence-id="50970" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado Senate Districts Pueblo Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51029" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="375"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51029" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51029" data-sentence-id="51029" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado Senate Districts — East Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51081" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="376"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51081" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51081" data-sentence-id="51081" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado Senate Districts — West Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51133" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="377"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51133" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51133" data-sentence-id="51133" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado Senate Districts Grand Junction Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51200" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="378"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51200" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51200" data-sentence-id="51200" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado House Districts Statewide — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51256" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="379"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51256" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51256" data-sentence-id="51256" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado House Districts Denver Metro Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51320" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="380"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51320" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51320" data-sentence-id="51320" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado House Districts South Denver Metro Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51390" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="381"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51390" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51390" data-sentence-id="51390" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado House Districts North Denver Metro Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51460" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="382"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51460" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51460" data-sentence-id="51460" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado House Districts North 1-25 Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51522" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="383"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51522" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51522" data-sentence-id="51522" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold"><span class="ldml-entity">Colorado House Districts Douglas County</span> — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51583" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="384"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51583" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51583" data-sentence-id="51583" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold"><span class="ldml-entity">Colorado House Districts El Paso County</span> — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51644" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="385"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51644" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51644" data-sentence-id="51644" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado House Districts Pueblo Area — Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51702" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="386"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51702" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51702" data-sentence-id="51702" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado House Districts — East Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51753" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="387"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51753" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51753" data-sentence-id="51753" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado House Districts — West Final Approved Plan</b><span class="ldml-pagenumber" data-id="pagenumber_51804" data-page_type="bracketed_cite" data-rep="P.3d" data-vol="513" data-val="388"></span></span></p><p data-paragraph-id="51804" class="ldml-paragraph "><span data-paragraph-id="51804" data-sentence-id="51804" class="ldml-sentence"><b class="ldml-bold">Colorado House Districts Grand Junction Area — Final Approved Plan</b></span></p></span></div></div>
</div>
</div>