Story perspectives

Colorado Supreme Court Blocks Redistricting Initiatives, Keeps Map

6/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

Colorado Supreme Court unanimously rejected Initiatives 240-242, blocking a temporary redrawing of congressional districts for the 2028 and 2030 elections.
The justices said the initiatives violated the state constitution’s single-subject rule; Chief Justice Monica Márquez called the change a “seismic shift.”
The decision keeps current boundaries until the commission redraws districts after the 2030 census, while Republicans praised it and filed Initiative 328, which may appear on November ballot.

History

Historical Context

In 1964 the Warren Court’s Reynolds v. Sims decision held that state legislative districts must be roughly equal in population, extending the “one person, one vote” doctrine established in Baker v. Carr (1962) and Wesberry v. Sanders (1964). Colorado’s Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Monica Márquez, invoked the single-subject rule to block Initiatives 240-242, echoing that historic demand for strict constitutional compliance in redistricting.

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Story summary

Colorado Supreme Court unanimously rejected Initiatives 240-242, blocking a temporary redrawing of congressional districts for the 2028 and 2030 elections.
The justices said the initiatives violated the state constitution’s single-subject rule; Chief Justice Monica Márquez called the change a “seismic shift.”
The decision keeps current boundaries until the commission redraws districts after the 2030 census, while Republicans praised it and filed Initiative 328, which may appear on November ballot.

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