DENVER – Ten legislators met Wednesday to begin drawing the map that will determine the fate of U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, and the other six Coloradans in the U.S. House.

The Legislature gets the task of drawing new districts every decade after the Census. But recent attempts have devolved into messy partisan fights that ended up in the courts.

“The General Assembly has not done a great job in fulfilling its duty,” said Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder. “We have the opportunity to change that.”

Heath is co-chairman of the Joint Select Committee on Redistricting. The 10-person group – five Republicans and five Democrats – is an attempt by the Legislature’s leaders to avoid the partisan fight this time.

Its goal is to draw a map of Colorado’s seven congressional districts by mid-April, so the Legislature can approve it before it adjourns in May.

In past redistricting years, the Legislature needed to hold a special session in the summer.

Co-chairman Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, said he was confident the Legislature could avoid a special session and still draw a map in a public process that all Coloradans can understand and follow.

“Go ahead and book your flights for June, July, August and September. You do not have to worry about a special session. We’re going to get this done now,” Balmer said.

The panel will have three meetings in the 3rd Congressional District, but none will be close to the Four Corners.

It will meet March 12 in Alamosa and Pueblo and March 19 in Glenwood Springs.

Legislators will have to follow strict requirements set down by the U.S. Supreme Court to make the districts numerically equal without breaking up communities of interest and minority neighborhoods. In addition, Gov. John Hickenlooper said he would prefer to see competitive districts that either party could win.

With Republicans in charge of the House and Democrats running the Senate, neither party can draw a map entirely to its liking.

The Western Slope’s 3rd Congressional District will be one of the biggest battlegrounds for the committee.

The district has fewer people than other Colorado districts, so it will need to add more towns, said Jeremiah Barry, a legislative lawyer who advises the redistricting committee.

The question for the panel will be which areas to add to the 3rd district. Will it be Republican-leaning counties like Park, or Democratic-friendly territory like Eagle or Summit counties?

Three legislators from the 3rd Congressional District serve on the panel. Rep. Don Coram, R-Montrose, is a friend of Tipton. Two Democrats from San Luis Valley districts also are on the panel, Sen. Gail Schwartz and Rep. Ed Vigil.

Coram said he likes the attempt to draw the map in the bipartisan committee.

“I think it’s what Colorado wants. It’s what we are required to do. I like the makeup of the committee. I think we will be successful,” Coram said.

jhanel@ durangoherald.com