Tag: Rollie Heath

A Senate committee axed three Republican immigration bills Monday. The committee, on a party-line vote, turned down legislation that targeted voting accessibility and immigration concerns. Also killed was a bill ridiculed by some as a "birther bill." That legislation would have required elected officials to present proof of citizenship upon taking office.

The big fight over congressional redistricting entered center ring Thursday afternoon as Sen. Rollie Heath introduced SB 268 as the Democratic starting point for the state's new congressional district lines. The map mirrors a version first presented in the failed Joint Select Committee on Redistricting, which he co-chaired.

Republicans lined up to testify Wednesay in the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on a declaration the Senate would never officially declare. SR 11-04 called for the Senate to put its foot down and state for the record that it would not raise taxes during the legislative session. Democrats all voted no and the bill died.

Democrats and Republicans traded barbs Monday after Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, declared an end to the Joint Select Committee on Redistricting by preparing to introduce a bill to create a Democratic map. In turn, Republicans said they too would introduce a map to compete with the Democratic version.

Senator Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, said today that he would likely introduce two redistricting map bills into the Senate after committee talks broke down on redistricting. Heath said there was no reason for further conversations with Republicans, who he said did not have authority to negotiate.

Redistricting co-chair Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, has issued a Democratic report stressing the need for competitive districts, and said a bill would likely be introduced in the Legislature this week. Republican leaders, in turn, issued their own statements chastising Democratic efforts.

Republicans countered Democratic desires for drawing competitive districts Wednesday by refusing to use party registration as a factor in the Joint Select Committee on Redistricting's effort to draw Congressional lines. The move led to another stalemate between the parties, leaving no map drawn and an ever increasing chance that Colorado courts will again draw the Congressional districts.

Tuesday, the Colorado General Assembly's Joint Select Committee on Redistricting agreed that partisan emotions ran too high at Friday's sharing of maps, but there appeared to be little common ground on at least one major Democratic starting point--competitiveness. Republicans rejected that as a compelling factor and called for a blank map created without looking at political balance. Democrats said that voters were calling for competition in a state where many districts have solid Republican numbers.

Secretary of State Scott Gessler's bill to require proof of citizenship of all Colorado voters died Monday in a Senate committee--on a party-line vote. Proof the bill is needed just wasn't there, Democrats said.

Opening shots were fired Friday in what started as an attempt at bipartisan civility in charting the future of Colorado Congressional representation but ended in bipartisan name calling that did anything but create a basis for impartial redistricting discussions.