Panel Chair: Colorado Legislative Maps More Competitive

DENVER (AP) -- The chairman of a panel drawing new Colorado legislative districts says maps he's proposing would lead to more competitive races and more Hispanic influenced districts than what Democrats and Republicans have presented.

Mario Carrera said Thursday the maps he submitted have 11 competitive Senate districts and 22 competitive House districts. Carrera is the only unaffiliated member of an 11-member panel working on the once-a-decade process of drawing new state legislative to account for population change.

Carrera presented his maps after partisan disagreement over districts. Democrats currently have a five-seat advantage in the Senate and Republicans hold a 1-seat edge in the House.

Carrera says 24 of the Legislature's 100 seats would be districts with at least 30 percent Hispanic voters under his proposal.

Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael L. Bender appointed Carrera to the panel.

by Ivan Moreno, AP writer (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)