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Colorado redistricting commissioners, from left, Carlos Perez, Blanca O’Leary and Jolie Brawner, with more commissioners who joined remotely, discuss suggested changes to the preliminary draft maps with members from the public this month in Arvada.
But that isn’t entirely what’s been going on.
In at least one example at the commissions’ public input hearing Tuesday in Arvada, a woman who painted herself as an everyday Jane Q. Public and implied no political connection gave specific map suggestions to the commissions after being coached by a paid political consultant. After The Gazette began asking questions about the episode, it has been reported as part of a paid lobbying effort.
And while that’s not against the law, the constitutional amendments passed by voters that created the independent redistricting commissions came with requirements that paid efforts to sway the commission must be publicly reported, using the state’s lobbying disclosure mechanisms.