Senate Concurrent Resolution 18-004 Summary

• Submits a constitutional amendment to Colorado voters on November 6, 2018 that transfers congressional redistricting authority from the state legislature to a new Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission.

• Creates a 12-member commission with balanced political representation: 4 commissioners unaffiliated with any political party, 4 affiliated with the state's largest political party, and 4 affiliated with the state's second largest political party.

• Establishes strict eligibility requirements excluding professional lobbyists, federal campaign committee employees, federal/state/local elected officials, and those with recent political involvement from serving on the commission.

• Requires the commission to prioritize communities of interest and political subdivisions, then maximize politically competitive districts, while prohibiting maps designed to protect incumbents or dilute racial or ethnic voting power.

• Limits judicial review to whether the commission or nonpartisan staff abused their discretion; requires the Colorado Supreme Court to approve a final plan by December 15 of the redistricting year.