Capitol Pulse: Why Colorado can't redistrict like Texas

As the clock ticked toward midnight, Republican lawmakers rushed a mid-decade plan to redraw congressional boundaries in their favor and boost their majority in Congress.

The intrigue: It sounds like what's taking place in Texas right now — but it's actually what happened in Colorado in 2003.

Why it matters: The GOP effort two decades ago is one reason why now-blue Colorado cannot redraw its maps mid-decade and nullify similar efforts in red states.

State of play: The legal challenge filed by Democrats against the 2003 maps in Colorado led to a state Supreme Court decision banning mid-decade redistricting.

• Moreover, Colorado voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 establishing an independent redistricting commission to draw boundaries once a decade, taking the power away from state lawmakers.

What they're saying: Gov. Jared Polis, who supported the independent commission, said in an interview this week that he would oppose redrawing boundaries outside the normal process.

• "People want to elect their politicians; they don't want politicians picking their people," he said.

The other side: Two residents want to repeal the constitutional amendment.

• They recently proposed a measure, potentially for the 2026 ballot, that would give the governor authority to sidestep the independent commission and appoint a new panel to redraw boundaries in response to any "national redistricting imbalances."

The premise is supported by at least one prominent Democrat, former U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo. She is calling for state Democrats to "counter this MAGA power grab" by repealing the constitutional amendment.

• "For the sake of the country, Democrats need to fight back," she said in a recent statement.