To help us get a better idea of what new stronger methane rules will do and what they will mean for Colorado, we sat down with our advocate Sophia Mayott-Guerrero.
New polling validates what we’ve known for years: Coloradans value protecting public health and safety, the environment, and wildlife over profits for the oil and gas industry.
Sportsmen, veterans, recreation advocates, outdoor businesses and conservationists respond to historic legislation to protect 400,000 acres of public lands
DENVER, CO — Conservation, recreation and wildlife groups across Colorado welcomed a vote in Congress today that helped move important public lands legislation from the U.S. House of Representatives on to the U.S. Senate. The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act (CORE Act) is needed to safeguard more than 400,000 acres in the Centennial State and ensure future generations have access to the state’s wildest lands and historic areas, like Camp Hale.
Colorado Representatives Joe Neguse, Diana DeGette, Ed Perlmutter and Jason Crow joined the majority in a bipartisan 227 – 182 vote for passage. Representatives Doug Lamborn, Ken Buck and Scott Tipton voted against, despite the recently released polling indicating that strong majorities of Rep. Tipton’s constituents support the measure and strong local support from counties and towns.
As the bill moves to the U.S. Senate, it is more important than ever that Colorado’s statewide elected officials stand together and support the CORE Act. Sen. Cory Gardner, who has not yet taken a position on this important Colorado legislation, should join Sen. Michael Bennet in sponsoring the bill.
The following are quotes from a number of organizations and stakeholders who have been working for decades to advance conservation efforts in Colorado, including protections for 400,000 acres in the San Juans, Thompson Divide, Continental Divide, Curecanti, and the historic WWII training grounds at Camp Hale:
“Coloradans love our lands and have been working for years to protect these popular, iconic and historic landscapes. Thank you to our environmental champions — Representatives Neguse, DeGette, Crow and Perlmutter — for advancing the CORE Act today. Senator Gardner should join Senator Bennet in supporting this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to safeguard nearly half a million acres of Colorado’s public lands.” — Kelly Nordini, Executive Director, Conservation Colorado
“Protecting Camp Hale and the surrounding area is way to honor generations of veterans, from World War II to Operation Enduring Freedom. Our public lands and the freedoms they represent define our nation, and I fought to defend that. Today I continue that fight by working to preserve Camp Hale and I hope Senator Gardner will join me and my fellow veterans.” — Bradley Noone, 10th Mountain Division Veteran.
“As a small business owner in the hunting community, I support the CORE act as a needed step in protecting our public lands in perpetuity. The next generation of hunters will have access to Wilderness Areas rich in biodiversity. This will enable a vital connection to our Colorado lands.” — Mahting Putelis, Co-Founder & CEO of Hunt to Eat
“This vote is the culmination of a decade of community dialogue and compromise. With this milestone, it’s time for the Senate to have a hearing on this bill and move it forward.” — Scott Fetchenhier, San Juan County Commissioner, Owner and Operator of Fetch’s Mining and Mercantile Company in Silverton
“We have been working to permanently protect the Thompson Divide for over a decade, and today’s vote is a significant step toward the finish line. The Thompson Divide has galvanized our community like no other issue, and we are grateful to Representative Neguse and Senator Bennet for championing this landscape that is so crucial to our economic livelihood and way of life. We hope Senator Gardner will join us and Senator Bennet to get this across the finish line in the Senate.” — Curtis Kaufman, Board President, Thompson Divide Coalition
«Sportsmen and women celebrate the passage of the CORE Act in the U.S. House, and we thank Representative Neguse and Senator Bennet for their leadership on this bill. There’s a direct link from large swathes of land, protected from development, to healthy populations of game and fish. Wildlife and fish, in turn, attract hunters and anglers like me who help support our local economies. Now, we urge Senator Gardner to co-sponsor the CORE Act to pass a bipartisan bill in the Senate.» — Craig Grother, Regional Director, Central Western Slope, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
«As an outfitter guide and storefront business owner, I couldn’t be more pleased with today’s passage of the CORE Act in the House. My guide service operates in several counties benefiting from the protection of wild landscapes and rivers in this legislation. I extend my deep appreciation to Representative Neguse and Senator Bennet and call on Senator Gardner to consider the opinion of the majority of his constituents and co-sponsor the CORE Act. The CORE Act is good for rural economies, communities, recreation, and natural resources.» — Tim Patterson, owner, RIGS Fly Shop & Guide Service
“Coloradans love getting outside and getting after it on public lands. Many of us identify as outdoor enthusiasts and conservationists, and in western Colorado a majority support additional wilderness. Patagonia thanks Congressman Neguse and Senator Bennet for their leadership on this legislation and urges Senator Gardner to continue a long bipartisan tradition to support public lands in Colorado and to vote yes on the CORE Act.” — Mark Stevens, district environmental manager, Patagonia
“As a Ridgway resident for over four decades and a local rancher, I applaud the passage of the CORE Act in the House. Colorado’s public lands are essential to my family as our grazing permit is located within the Whitehouse Addition. I rely on healthy and protected lands and waters for my business to succeed, as do my fellow ranchers who graze livestock on the Thompson Divide. In addition, both my father and uncle trained at Camp Hale as part of the storied 10th Mountain Division. Preserving Camp Hale honors veterans and their families and protects a landscape that constitutes a piece of our country’s cultural and military history. Thank you Representative Neguse and Senator Bennet! I encourage Senator Gardner to co-sponsor the CORE Act in the Senate.” — Liza Clarke, Owner, Ferguson Family Ranches
“The CORE Act really gets at the core of Colorado values – protecting critical waterways and habitats, providing inspiring outdoor recreation opportunities like the Continental Divide Trail, and honoring the unique history of the American West. Today’s passage of the CORE Act through the House should be a proud moment for the many Coloradans who have worked to protect the Continental Divide and other invaluable landscapes for more than a decade. We are grateful for the leadership of Representative Neguse and Senator Bennet in moving the CORE Act forward, and hope to see Senator Gardner join them in this crucial effort to protect some of Colorado’s most special places. — Teresa Martinez, Executive Director, Continental Divide Trail Coalition
“Eagle County applauds the passage of the CORE Act in the House of Representatives today. This important public lands bill includes the designation of one of the County’s Crown Jewels, Camp Hale, as a National Historic Landscape. The heroism of the 10th Mountain Division troops and their contributions to the skiing world are memorialized in this Act. The CORE Act also preserves important wildlife habitat and environment in Eagle and Summit Counties. This bipartisan effort has included local input over many years and we are hopeful that this work will result in passage in the Senate as well.” — Kathy Chandler-Henry, Commissioner, Eagle County
“We are thrilled with today’s House vote in favor of the CORE Act. Local communities like Ouray County have been working to advance these protections for decades, and we couldn’t ask for a better piece of legislation. The CORE Act protects critical wildlife migration corridors and habitat, valuable watersheds, and unspoiled wild places which all benefit our rural economies. We applaud the leadership from Congressman Neguse and Senator Bennet, and we urge Senator Gardner to join Senator Bennet as a co-sponsor to pass the CORE Act in the Senate in the 116th Congress”. — Robyn Cascade, Northern San Juan Chapter Leader, Great Old Broads for Wilderness
“Today the US House of Representatives affirmed what folks in western Colorado know, protecting the Thompson Divide and Continental Divide landscapes is the right thing to do. For over a decade Wilderness Workshop and local communities have advocated for the protection of these special places, most recently as part of the CORE Act. This legislation is the culmination of years of engagement, discussion and compromise among a diverse and bi-partisan set of stakeholders who have come together to work on a common goal. Now that the House has acted and listened to the voices of locals, I hope our delegation can work together, just as our communities have, to ensure that Thompson Divide and Continental Divide are permanently protected.” — Will Roush, Executive Director, Wilderness Workshop
“Members of Ridgway Ouray Community Council (ROCC) have spent endless hours over the last decade collaborating with diverse stakeholders to support the proposal for the expansion of the Mount Sneffels Wilderness Area. We are pleased and excited to have the San Juan Mountains proposal included in the CORE Act. The CORE Act recognizes the need to protect the natural resources located on our public lands while simultaneously benefiting our local economy.” — Jim Stephenson, Public Lands Chair, Ridgway-Ouray Community Council
“We’ve been waiting 40 years to complete wilderness protection of Mount Sneffels and some of the most spectacular wildlands in the San Juan Mountains. We greatly appreciate Rep. Joe Neguse’s leadership, and we await Sen. Cory Gardner finally taking up the baton to move wilderness protections in the San Juans across the finish line in the Senate.” — Mark Pearson, Executive Director, San Juan Citizens Alliance
“The CORE Act represents a diverse set of beloved and ecologically important landscapes across Colorado. Today’s House passage of the CORE Act is a huge cause for celebration for our community in Southwest Colorado, which has been working for over a decade to protect the iconic vistas of our San Juan Mountains. We are grateful for the vision and leadership of Congressman Neguse and Senator Bennet for recognizing the value of the places that we hold dear, and working to protect our health, our economy, and our future. — Lexi Tuddenham, Executive Director, Sheep Mountain Alliance
“Colorado deserves the protections afforded by the CORE Act. Thanks to Senator Bennet and Congressman Neguse for driving the bill forward. The climbing community deeply appreciates the efforts of many stakeholders and partners to protect iconic Colorado landscapes, including Camp Hale, for future generations. We are hopeful that Senator Gardner will help move the bill through the Senate.” — Erik Murdock, Policy Director, Access Fund
“The CORE Act demonstrates that protected public lands are our common ground. It strengthens a growing recreation-based economy, and it protects important recreation assets and wildlife habitat for future generations. We applaud Senator Bennet and Congressman Neguse for championing this important bill, and hope today’s passage in the House of Representatives is only the beginning.” — Kirsten Blackburn, Program Manager, The Conservation Alliance
“Coloradans love public lands and want to see more of them protected especially in the face of a changing climate and the nature crisis. Conservationists, ranchers and sportsmen around Colorado celebrate the vote by the House and turn our attention to the Senate. Senator Cory Gardner is the only Senator from Colorado in the last half-century who has not sponsored wilderness legislation. As Colorado’s only member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, it’s time for Senator Gardner to heed his constituents’ calls and work with Senator Bennet to get the CORE Act across the finish line.” — Jim Ramey, Colorado state director for The Wilderness Society.
“Today’s vote marks a major step for the future of public lands in Colorado. Our national parks, wilderness areas and other public lands are cherished for their natural beauty, cultural heritage, and the recreational and economic benefits they bring to local communities. With local stakeholder support at the forefront of this process, the CORE Act achieves meaningful protections for these lands now and for future generations. We are thankful to Congressman Neguse for his leadership in championing this legislation and urge the Senate to take up the bill in short order.” —Tracy Coppola, Colorado Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association
“Among the thousands of acres of precious wilderness that the CORE Act would protect is Camp Hale, an important site in U.S. and Sierra Club history. Camp Hale is where the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, including Sierra Club’s first executive director, David Brower, trained to fight Nazi Germany in the Italian Alps in World War II. As a combat veteran of the 10th Mountain myself, I know how important it is to protect this beautiful and significant land from logging and fossil fuel extraction.” –– Rob Vessels, Sierra Club Military Outdoors Campaign Manager
“Today’s vote in favor of the CORE Act is celebrated by all who have worked tirelessly to protect the San Juan Mountain landscapes vital to the communities of Western Colorado. Local voices have crafted this legislation over the course of a decade and we appreciate the leadership of Congressman Neguse for moving the vision of the CORE Act forward. Vibrant rural economies depend upon the careful stewardship of our wildlands and we ask Senator Gardner to join Senator Bennet as a co-sponsor to pass the CORE Act in the Senate.” — Steve Allerton, President, Western Colorado Alliance
«Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship is very pleased to endorse the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act. Preservation of the wide variety of lands represented in the CORE Act shows that Conservation is truly Conservative. This was confirmed by a recent poll of Colorado’s third Congressional District that found two-thirds of voters support the designations in the CORE Act and an overwhelming 85% of Republicans surveyed said that public lands are important to the local economy.» — Steve Bonowski, Colorado-based board member, Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship
“The CORE Act represents a modern, collaborative, community-driven approach to bike-friendly public land protection and IMBA is excited with the progress this bill is making in Congress. For over a decade, IMBA has worked with local mountain bike groups and alongside many conservation and business partners to develop the diverse protections included in the bill. As a result, the CORE Act will not only preserve our public lands but will protect the treasured, high-alpine bike rides, and ensure future mountain bike trail opportunities are possible in areas managed for high quality recreation.” — Dave Wiens, Executive Director of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)
“The AAC strongly supports the CORE Act. The bill defends countless outdoor recreation opportunities, safeguards water resources, and preserves key public lands. The protections in the Act also offer the benefit of climate change mitigation through land conservation. Thank you, Senator Bennet and Congressman Neguse, for championing this important conservation measure. The climbing community is hopeful that the bill will successfully and swiftly navigate the Senate and protect important pieces of the climbing landscape.” — Taylor Luneau, Policy Manager, American Alpine Club (AAC)
Joint ad pushes Sen. Gardner to stand up for Colorado’s clean air and climate, not corporate polluters
DENVER — This week, Conservation Colorado—the state’s largest environmental advocacy organization—and the grassroots organization Rocky Mountain Values launched a new television commercial that pushes Sen. Cory Gardner to support policy and funding to protect our environment and clean air. The ad comes two weeks after Senator Gardner’s recent vote that will repeal important federal progress on clean air policy and reflects the growing frustration that Colorado families have with politicians like Senator Cory Gardner, who acts in favor of special interests.
The effort is a part of Conservation Colorado’s new seven-figure accountability effort urging Senator Gardner to stand up for Coloradans who want clean air and a healthy climate, not for big corporate polluters. In addition to the new television commercial, the campaign also includes on-the-ground organizing in Aurora, Fort Collins, Greeley and Pueblo and other paid communications to educate Coloradans about Gardner’s record to get him to vote in favor of environmental protection.
“Senator Cory Gardner told us he’d protect Colorado’s clean air but went to Washington and helped dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to combat air pollution,” said Kelly Nordini, Executive Director of Conservation Colorado. “Colorado is at the forefront of climate impacts, and our state is a national leader in addressing the climate crisis. Unfortunately, Senator Gardner’s record shows he has been more willing to do what special interests and lobbyists in Washington want than to listen to his constituents back home. Senator Gardner must step up to change that.”
“Coloradans, like all Americans, value clean air,” said Alvina Vasquez, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Values. “Less than two weeks ago Senator Gardner took a vote to block the Clean Power Plan, which would have stopped corporate polluters from dirtying our air—proving once again that he will continue taking votes that hurt Colorado. We hoped that Senator Gardner would stand by his promise to protect our environment, but instead, he continues his pattern of broken promises and bad votes. We need Senator Gardner, and all of our elected officials, to prioritize Coloradans’ clean air now. ”
In Washington, Sen. Gardner helped dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to combat air pollution, allowing power plants to burn coal waste without complying with clean air rules. And while Coloradans’ health suffered as a result, Sen. Gardner raked in the cash—including more than $1.4 million in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry. That investment continues to pay dividends for big corporate polluters. And just this month, Sen. Gardner voted to allow Trump’s repeal of the Clean Power Plan to move forward, paving the way for coal plants to stay open longer and blocking progress for wind and solar power—energy sources that Coloradans overwhelmingly support.
“Frontline communities can’t write big checks like big polluters, but we can organize,” said Juan Gallegos, director of Protégete. “Latinx Coloradans deserve a seat at the table and for Senator Gardner to listen to us, vote with us, and put Colorado on a path to a clean energy future.”
We took to the streets to answer this question and see what else Coloradans know — or ought to know — about methane.
Contact: Jessica Goad, 720-206-4235
In a huge win for the environment and the “resistance” against the Trump agenda, the vote to move forward with repealing a rule protecting air quality from oil and gas development just failed in the U.S. Senate. However, Colorado Senator Gardner voted the wrong way.
Here is a reaction from Pete Maysmith, Executive Director of Conservation Colorado.
This is an incredible day for the environment and for citizens across the country who have been telling their members of Congress to vote for clean air. The vote should have been an easy one for the oil and gas lobby to win, but the power of citizen activism has broken through the political morass.
With that said, we are deeply disappointed in Senator Gardner’s vote. Despite more than 10,000 emails and calls from Coloradans and multiple protests at his offices on this issue, Senator Gardner managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by voting against Colorado’s clean air in what amounted to a futile vote for him.
It’s obvious from this vote that Senator Gardner is much more interested in joining the Washington, D.C. political club rather than representing the values of Coloradans. This is not the leadership that Colorado needs, and we will double down on our efforts to make sure that Coloradans of all stripes know what a threat Senator Gardner’s voting record poses to clean air and environment.
Senate Republicans today attempted to use a little-known procedure (the “Congressional Review Act”) to kill rules from previous presidential administrations. Today’s vote on the “motion to proceed” was 51-49, with Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Susan Collins (R-ME) and John McCain (R-AZ) joining all 48 Democrats in rejecting the resolution.
Senator Gardner has a 100% record of voting with Trump and has voted against the environment seven times already this year, the methane vote being the eighth.
The BLM’s methane waste prevention rule was modeled on Colorado’s successful 2014 methane rules. The federal rule was finalized in November 2016 after three years of public process that included eight public meetings held across the country and 300,000 public comments. The rule would minimize the amount of wasted natural gas resources from oil and gas facilities on public and tribal lands by requiring companies to look for and repair leaks, minimize flaring (burning) and prohibit venting of gas directly into the atmosphere. All told, the rule could save $330 million worth of natural gas each year, which would result in increased royalties paid to the federal treasury saving taxpayers more than $800 million over a decade.
Contact: Jace Woodrum, 720-412-3772
Today, the House advanced HB-1071, Regulate Oil Gas Operations Protect Public Safety. The 7-6 vote comes just days after the Colorado Supreme Court agreed to hear the Martinez v. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission appeal, shining a spotlight on the conflict between the oil and gas industry and the welfare of the public.
In response, Conservation Colorado and the League of Oil and Gas Impacted Citizens (LOGIC) issued the following statements:
“There really is no debate here: Colorado must prioritize the health and safety of our residents and the preservation of our environment when regulating the oil and gas industry. We need the state to set a strong standard that directs the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to put people over profits,” said Sophia Guerrero-Murphy, Energy Advocate, Conservation Colorado.
“Oil and gas has chosen to try to force large-scale industrial facilities nearer homes and schools while proclaiming they have the right to do so. But neither the state, nor the oil and gas industry can continue to make the claim that neighborhood drilling is safe. So when it comes to a question of protecting the public health and safety of Colorado residents, it should be a no brainer. Our state needs to take steps to make the well-being of Colorado families its first priority,” said Sara Loflin, LOGIC Executive Director.
About HB-1071
HB-1071, Regulate Oil Gas Operations Protect Public Safety, is a response to large-scale oil and gas development that has been expanding into neighborhoods, especially as Colorado grows and becomes more dense. For years, communities in Colorado have been struggling with how to balance health and safety with heavy industrial activities like oil and gas.
Tragically, in the Spring of 2017, oil and gas development led to a home explosion in Firestone, Colorado, where two people lost their lives, and another was seriously injured. Since then, there have been 14 more oil and gas-related explosions, 6 leaks that contaminated waterways, and 22 leaks that are under investigation for potential contamination of water wells. Even under the safest operating conditions, which aren’t always employed, this industrial activity poses a risk to health and safety.
HB-1071 seeks to compel the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to prioritize health, safety, and environmental welfare when considering new oil and gas permits. This bill seeks to clarify the state’s priorities in a quickly shifting landscape where the tensions between fostering industry and protecting public welfare are mounting. There are significant hazards and dangers associated with fracking and drilling, especially in urban areas, and any time a permit is considered, the potential impacts on the community and the environment must be weighed.
About Martinez v. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Martinez v. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has ignited the ongoing debate over how to protect the health and safety of Coloradans as oil and gas development expands into neighborhoods and developed areas.
In 2013, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez and several other Colorado young people asked the COGCC to adopt a regulation stating that no drilling permits will be issued without a finding that drilling can occur without impairing Colorado’s air, water, and wildlife and that drilling does not adversely affect public health. The COGCC denied the request, holding that it lacked legal authority to issue such a rule. In March 2017, the Colorado Court of Appeals set aside the COGCC’s decision, holding that state law makes “protection of public health, safety and welfare, including protection of the environment and wildlife resources” a prerequisite for approving oil and gas development. While rejecting the COGCC’s legal interpretation, the Court did not address whether the agency should adopt the specific rule language requested by the Martinez plaintiffs.
The COGCC and the American Petroleum Institute appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court, which announced that it would take the case on January 29, 2018.
Conservation Colorado Executive Director Kelly Nordini has released the following statement on the failure of Proposition 112:
Let’s be clear: the oil and gas industry spent at least $30 million to beat this measure by fear-mongering about jobs. No one in this state would be foolish enough to say that tonight’s result mean that voters want an oil and gas rig closer to their homes, schools, or hospitals.
The fact remains: the oil and gas problem in this state has not been solved. Local communities still have too little say in where dangerous facilities are sited; the industry benefits from loopholes to laws meant to protect our environment; our state’s severance tax is the lowest effective severance tax in the nation; and spills, fires, explosions, and pollution remain all too commonplace.
In recent years, the oil and gas industry has stood in the way of basic, common-sense protections like keeping drilling away from our schools or tracking where pipelines exist so we don’t experience another Firestone tragedy. We need our leaders to take action in 2019 to ensure that Colorado has the strongest protections in the west.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) today passed a rule that will require new oil and gas development to be set back 1,000 feet from all outdoor and modular school facilities, rather than just from school buildings. This rule closes a loophole that formerly allowed oil and gas activity to occur near school playgrounds and sports fields, as long as it was 1,000 feet from the school building.
“Closing this loophole is a much-needed change, and we’re glad to see increased protections for the health and safety of children across Colorado from dirty and industrial fossil fuel development,” said Sophia Mayott-Guerrero, Energy and Transportation Advocate at Conservation Colorado. “But, it is important to note that this is just one small step forward; we look forward to working with Governor-elect Polis and the legislature to ensure that health and safety of all Coloradans is prioritized when it comes to oil and gas development.”
“It is past time the COGCC consider the health and safety of kids. Implementing a 1,000-foot setback from all school use areas and child care centers where kids learn and play is the least the COGCC can do,” said Sara Loflin, Executive Director of LOGIC, “It is ridiculous that we have had to fight to get oil and gas sites further away from kids and the places where they learn and play.”
“Finally, after three years of effort, the COGCC is responding to the concerns of impacted schools, parents and residents,” said Leslie Robinson, chairwoman of the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance and Garfield County resident. “We should not put children at risk for a privately owned company’s bottom line. Everyone is a champion when we protect children’s health and safety and we hope that this rule is the beginning of more significant changes in Colorado’s oil and gas industry.”
Applying the setback to outside areas where students and teachers learn, recreate, and work took more than two years to occur, as the state legislature killed multiple bills that would have implemented this important change. As Colorado’s political climate shifts, this rulemaking adds momentum to advancing policies that put the public’s health, safety, and welfare first while holding the oil and gas industry accountable.
Additional Details
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Oil and gas development puts nearby areas at risk for air pollution from VOCs, benzene, and a host of other toxins, and can expose children to accidents like blowouts, gas leaks, or explosions.
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Aspen Ridge Preparatory School was closed last year on account of a well venting near the school.
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In 2017, a high school football game at Northridge High School in Greeley was evacuated on account of a valve failure that caused a methane leak just 600 feet from a football stadium.
Today, Conservation Colorado released its 2019 Conservation Scorecard, an annual look at how every state legislator voted on key environmental bills during the recent legislative session. The scorecard provides Coloradans with the information they need to ensure their elected officials reflect Coloradans’ values, including protections for our air, land, water, and communities.
“Colorado’s 2019 legislative session was historic by any measure,” said Kelly Nordini, executive director of Conservation Colorado. “From climate action and clean energy to oil and gas reforms to protecting our lands, water, and wildlife, this year’s scorecard provides an accounting of who helped and hindered Colorado’s progress.”
Here are top-line results from the Scorecard:
Key votes scored include:
- Colorado’s Climate Action Plan (HB1261)
- Comprehensive Oil and Gas Reform (SB181)
- EV Utility and Tax Credits (HB1159 and SB77)
- Hard-Rock Mining Reform (HB1113)
- Conservation Easement Improvements (HB1264)
- Promoting a Just Transition (HB1314)
Senate
- 18 Senators had a perfect score.
- The lowest scores were Senators Chris Holbert, Vicki Marble, and Jim Smallwood at 0 percent each.
House
- 36 members had a perfect score.
- The lowest scores were Representatives Mark Baisley, Susan Beckman, Perry Buck, Tim Geitner, Stephen Humphrey, Kimmi Lewis, Lori Saine, Shane Sandridge, and Dave Williams at 0 percent each.
Nordini continued: “This year, the Colorado legislature passed commonsense policies that were years in the making. At a time when the stakes could not be higher, Colorado’s new elected leaders produced results that will protect our state for years to come.”
APOYA NUESTRO TRABAJO
Ayúdenos a luchar por mantener a Colorado un lugar que nos da orgullo llamar nuestro hogar. Juntos, podemos proteger la forma de vida de Colorado y continuar un legado de una protección sólida de nuestro aire, tierras, aguas y pueblo.
ÚNETE A NOSOTROS
Nuestra comunidad de más de 60,000 miembros es la fuerza impulsora detrás de las ganancias ambientales desde su patio trasero hasta el Capitolio estatal.