| Summary |
The transportation commission (commission) currently consists of
11 members appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate
from statutorily designated districts. If the bill is approved by the voters
of the state at the November 2024 general election, on February 1, 2027,
section 2 of the bill will replace the current membership of the
commission with 9 members elected at the November 2026 general
election, one from each congressional district of the state and one from
the state at large. Thereafter, whenever the number of congressional
districts in the state is odd, the membership of the commission will
consist of one member elected from each congressional district of the
state, and whenever the number of congressional districts in the state is
even, the membership of the commission will consist of one member
elected from each congressional district of the state and one member
elected from the state at large. Commission members' terms are 4 years;
except that:
•
The initial terms of the members elected at the 2026
general election from the first, third, fifth, and seventh
congressional districts and the initial term of the member
elected from the state at large are 2 years; and
•
Whenever congressional redistricting changes the number
of congressional districts from even to odd, the term of the
member of the commission elected from the state at large
who is serving on the effective date of the redistricting
ends upon the commencement of the terms of the members
of the commission elected at the first general election held
after the redistricting occurs.
The governor is required to fill any vacancy that may occur in the
commission. An individual appointed to fill a vacancy remains a member
of the commission until the next general election and until the individual's
successor is elected and duly qualified. On and after February 1, 2027,
each member of the commission elected from a congressional district
must actually reside in the congressional district that the member
represents and any member elected from the state at large must actually
reside in the state. If a member elected from a congressional district
ceases to reside in the district or a member elected from the state at large
ceases to live in the state, the member shall be deemed to have resigned
as a member of the commission.
On and after February 1, 2027, section 1 requires the commission
to select the executive director of the department of transportation and
specifies that the executive director serves at the pleasure of the
commission; except that the executive director appointed by the governor
with the consent of the senate who is serving as of February 1, 2027,
remains the executive director until the commission appoints a successor,
which the commission is required to do no later than July 1, 2027.
Sections 3 through 11 make conforming amendments to the
Uniform Election Code of 1992 to ensure that candidates for the
commission and members of the commission are treated similarly to
candidates for and members of the state board of education and the
regents of the university of Colorado with respect to membership on party
committees, nomination as candidates, resolution of tie vote situations,
election contests, and campaign finance disclosure requirements.
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