Eli Stokols
Political Reporter
8:11 p.m. MST, November 15, 2011
DENVER -- That 2012 statehouse battle between Reps. Andy Kerr and Ken Summers, their two House districts drawn together by Colorado's Reapportionment Commission, is on hold.
For now.
On Tuesday, the Colorado Supreme Court rejected the new map of Colorado's House and Senate districts approved by the commission in September.
Several state lawmakers saw their seats become a lot more competitive under the new map, drawn by Entravision CEO Mario Carerra, the unaffiliated chairman of -- and swing vote on -- the 11-member commission.
Now, after a 4-2 vote by the state's highest court, the Commission will have to reconvene and present a new map by Dec. 6.
Republicans, who have criticized Carerra's map, celebrated the news Tuesday.
"The State Supreme Court’s decision today validates what Colorado Republicans have been arguing all along -- that the Reapportionment Commission must first look to keeping counties boundaries whole before looking to non-constitutional criteria in drawing district boundaries," said GOP Chairman Ryan Call.
"Colorado Republicans agree with the Colorado Supreme Court that a measure of a district’s so-called 'competitiveness' and other non-constitutional factors should only be considered after all other constitutional criteria of respecting counties and city boundaries have first been fully met. Respecting county boundaries and communities of interest leads to more effective representation as legislators will better reflect the perspectives and needs of the communities they are chosen to represent."
Copyright © 2011, KDVR-TV
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