Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It’s Thursday July 8th.

Today - Amendments to Colorado’s constitution attempted to take the politics out of the redrawing of maps. Maps that determine the makeup of the state legislature and the state’s representation in Congress.

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

Today, we take you back to July 8th, 2013 when a meeting held in the Washington County seat of Akron reflected growing resentment toward the government. Especially from rural, mostly conservative northeasterners.

The meeting debated two proposals offered by Weld County commissioners. Either they should secede to create a new state - or join a more politically appealing neighbor like Wyoming.

Now, our feature story.

Two amendments to Colorado’s constitution — Y and Z — tried to largely take the politics out of the once-a-decade process of redrawing the maps that determine the state’s representation to Congress and the makeup of the state legislature.

But while the measures were popular with voters and crafted by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, some prominent Democrats in the state say the party gave away a powerful tool that will make it harder to achieve their legislative goals — and maybe even help determine the makeup of Congress in 2022.

The independent commissions have released their preliminary maps, but with new Census data still to come, there’s a lot more work to be done.

The Sun’s newsletter wrangler Eric Lubbers [Loo-burrs] talks with political reporters Jesse Paul and Thy Vo [Tee Vo] about the process.

To read the full story and see a list of where the maps will be discussed, head to coloradosun.com.

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

Colorado is inching closer to herd immunity — but it’s not just because of vaccines. While Colorado overall has reached a point where 50% of the state’s total population has been fully immunized with the vaccine, the number of people who were infected with COVID-19 and survived — gaining some immunity in the process — makes that number closer to 60%. But with vaccinations being embraced unevenly around the state, Dr. Jonathan Samet, the dean of the Colorado School of Public Health said that the problem has splintered into a “series of epidemics.”


Gov. Jared Polis signed a wave of new criminal justice bills into law, including one inspired by the death of Elijah McClain during an encounter with Aurora Police. House Bill 1251 would prohibit the use of ketamine in law enforcement situations after McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, was given a dose of the powerful drug his family said was too large for his size and later died.


Among the other bills signed Tuesday were measures designed to reduce or eliminate burdensome court fees that can have lasting effects on families in poverty.

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you’ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, you&rsquo;re listening to the Daily Sun-Up with the Colorado Sun. It&rsquo;s Thursday July 8th. Today - Amendments to Colorado&rsquo;s constitution attempted to take the politics out of the redrawing of maps. Maps that determine the makeup of the state legislature and the state&rsquo;s representation in Congress. But before we begin, let&rsquo;s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett&rsquo;s book &ldquo;Colorado Day by Day&rdquo;: Today, we take you back to July 8th, 2013 when a meeting held in the Washington County seat of Akron reflected growing resentment toward the government. Especially from rural, mostly conservative northeasterners. The meeting debated two proposals offered by Weld County commissioners. Either they should secede to create a new state - or join a more politically appealing neighbor like Wyoming. Now, our feature story. Two amendments to Colorado&rsquo;s constitution &mdash; Y and Z &mdash; tried to largely take the politics out of the once-a-decade process of redrawing the maps that determine the state&rsquo;s representation to Congress and the makeup of the state legislature. But while the measures were popular with voters and crafted by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, some prominent Democrats in the state say the party gave away a powerful tool that will make it harder to achieve their legislative goals &mdash; and maybe even help determine the makeup of Congress in 2022. The independent commissions have released their preliminary maps, but with new Census data still to come, there&rsquo;s a lot more work to be done. The Sun&rsquo;s newsletter wrangler Eric Lubbers [Loo-burrs] talks with political reporters Jesse Paul and Thy Vo [Tee Vo] about the process. To read the full story and see a list of where the maps will be discussed, head to&nbsp;<a href="http://coloradosun.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://coloradosun.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625840747110000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGlDC8beiHkGARKEBY7uDzKRN9Ofw">coloradosun.com</a>. And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today: Colorado is inching closer to herd immunity &mdash; but it&rsquo;s not just because of vaccines. While Colorado overall has reached a point where 50% of the state&rsquo;s total population has been fully immunized with the vaccine, the number of people who were infected with COVID-19 and survived &mdash; gaining some immunity in the process &mdash; makes that number closer to 60%. But with vaccinations being embraced unevenly around the state, Dr. Jonathan Samet, the dean of the Colorado School of Public Health said that the problem has splintered into a &ldquo;series of epidemics.&rdquo; Gov. Jared Polis signed a wave of new criminal justice bills into law, including one inspired by the death of Elijah McClain during an encounter with Aurora Police. House Bill 1251 would prohibit the use of ketamine in law enforcement situations after McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, was given a dose of the powerful drug his family said was too large for his size and later died. Among the other bills signed Tuesday were measures designed to reduce or eliminate burdensome court fees that can have lasting effects on families in poverty. For more information on all of these stories, visit our website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.coloradosun.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.coloradosun.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625840747110000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFadQvCdYhPh0-nlmWPYhSOII3jjg">www.coloradosun.com</a>. And don&rsquo;t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor. The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you. Right now, you can head to ColoradoSun.com and become a member. Starting at $5 per month for a basic membership and if you bump it up to $20 per month, you&rsquo;ll get access to our exclusive politics and outdoors newsletters. Thanks for starting your morning with us and don&rsquo;t forget to tune in again tomorrow.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.

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