Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb on Monday blasted Republican-drawn maps for state House districts as “appalling,” saying they count Arapahoe County jail inmates as minority voters for partisan gain.

That was just one of several angry accusations Webb made Monday in a lengthy statement to the Colorado Reapportionment Commission, the 11-member panel redrawing state legislative districts and on which Webb, a Democrat, sits.

The panel earlier this month gave initial approval to the Republican-drawn House map for metro Denver on a 6-5 vote, with Mario Carrera, the commission’s chairman and its lone unaffiliated voter, casting the swing vote.

Democrats, who control the state Senate with a 20-15 majority, say that Republicans, who hold the House with a tenuous 33-32 majority, would gain a “supermajority” under the new House map. Webb reignited debate over the map and focused much of his criticism on Mario Nicolais, the Republican appointee to the commission who has drawn GOP maps.

Webb zeroed in on newly drawn House District 37 in Arapahoe County, now held by Rep. Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial, which might be considered a “minority influence” district because it would have a 20 percent minority population.

“After closer inspection, I came to find out that it was the inclusion of the Arapahoe County jail, with thousands of black and brown inmates, that gave this district its ‘minority influence,’ ” Webb said. “While counted for the census, these inmates are certainly not voting for the candidate of their choice nor influencing the outcome of the election.

“At best, the proponents of the alternative plan are so out of touch with the minority community that their assertions could be categorized as insensitive. At worst, the proponents unapologetically used the minority community as pawns for political advantage.”

Nicolais responded later by saying Webb had “ambushed” him during the meeting and that he never argued the district was a “minority influence” area.

Nicolais said he had relied on census information to draw district lines and did not mean to include, or exclude, jail inmates as minority voters. He added that there are jails and prisons in other communities — such as Denver and Buena Vista — whose populations also were counted when drawing up districts.

“The jail has to be included somewhere,” Nicolais said.

Webb also charged that the Republican map creates only one whole House district within the city of Aurora, which has 325,000 people. An ideal House district has 77,372 people, although the law allows for up to a 5 percent variance between the largest and smallest House districts.

Yet Nicolais pointed out that Colorado Springs, a city of 416,000 that is contained entirely in El Paso County, has no House seats that lie fully within its bounds.

Webb indicated he hoped that Carrera might change his mind when the final vote comes.

“Mr. Chairman, I believe it was not your intent to create a supermajority for the Republican Party; however, in a desire for fairness, that is the consequence,” Webb said.

Carrera responded by emphasizing again that the maps are not final.

Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com