The Colorado Supreme Court has adopted new rules under the Colorado Court Rules Chapter 34, Rules for Reapportionment Committee Proceedings. The rule changes are designed to outline the timeline in which the Reapportionment Commission must submit their final plan to the Colorado Supreme Court and the process in which the Court will review the plan. The new rules also allow for the review and determination of the plan’s compliance with the Colorado Constitution to take precedence over all of the Court’s regular docket matters.

Under the new rules, the Commission must file its plan with the Court no later than October 7, 2011. The plan must include comprehensive maps of the proposed senatorial and representative districts along with descriptions of the proposed plan and its implementation.

Statements of opposition, proposed alternate plans, and supporting documentation must be filed with the court within twenty days of the Commission’s filing of their plan with the Court. Proponents of the Commission’s plan will have five days to reply to any opposition filings. The Court may require oral argument concerning any issue raised by the Commission, other proponents, or opponents.

The final submission of legal arguments or evidence concerning the plan shall be filed no later than November 9, 2011, and the Court commits to approving a plan for the redrawing of the districts by a date that will allow sufficient time for the plan to be filed with the secretary of state, but no later than December 14, 2011.

Click here to view the Reapportionment rule changes in their entirety.

Click here to review the Supreme Court’s other rule changes so far in 2011.