The Colorado Sun reports that Colorado lawmakers are making a last-minute move to counter Initiative 177, a proposed constitutional amendment backed by Advance Colorado that would create a “right to natural gas” for consumers and distributors in Colorado.
According to the article, the proposal has reopened fears of another oil and gas ballot fight and may complicate a 2024 agreement among state lawmakers, Gov. Jared Polis, major oil and gas producers, and environmental groups. That agreement tightened air quality rules, created a new oil and gas production fee expected to raise $80 million for transportation and conservation projects this fiscal year, and included a pledge by the parties not to back major oil and gas policy fights through the 2027 legislative session and ballot cycle.
Now, with petitions still circulating and the legislative session nearly over, state lawmakers are trying to pass a bill clarifying that a constitutional right to natural gas would not wipe out existing laws. Translation: the voters have not even voted yet, and the Capitol is already warming up the procedural fog machine.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Initiative 177 would put a “right to natural gas” in the Colorado Constitution, giving distributors the right to sell it and consumers the right to buy it for heating and cooking. In plain English, it says government should not be able to force families away from a reliable energy source. Imagine that, people wanting heat in Colorado.
- Democratic lawmakers say they are rushing a bill to make sure the amendment does not threaten public safety or local air quality. House Speaker Julie McCluskie asked whether a right to natural gas means people could “walk around with it in a container on the street.” That is one way to describe home heating. Another way is “Tuesday in Greeley.”
- Advance Colorado’s Michael Fields says the point is affordability and reliability, especially as state energy policies make natural gas harder to use. He also notes that a constitutional amendment sits above state statute. Civics can be inconvenient when voters are involved.
- The article says Initiative 177 could disrupt a 2024 oil and gas truce between industry, environmental groups, and state lawmakers. But Advance Colorado was not part of that agreement. Calling that a broken deal is a stretch. You cannot violate a handshake you were never invited to.
- Environmental groups are bringing their own ballot measures as a “defensive” response, including proposals that would make it easier to sue oil and gas companies and restrict how utilities recover pipeline costs. So yes, the peace treaty lasted about as long as a doughnut in a county road shop breakroom.
My Bottom Line
I believe in local control, property rights, affordable energy, and voters having the final say when the Constitution is on the table. What bothers me here is not just the disagreement over natural gas. Disagreement is normal. What bothers me is the legislature trying to pre-wire the outcome before the people have even had their say.
Once again, the message from the state Capitol sounds a lot like: “Relax, voters, your betters have this handled.” Silly you, thinking your vote matters. I do not say that lightly. A last-minute legislative strike aimed at boxing in a potential ballot measure is not good government. It is a proactive attempt to manage, narrow, or soften the will of the voters before the voters even get to speak.
Natural gas matters to real households and real paychecks in Weld County. Families care about the bill at the end of the month. Workers care about energy jobs. Communities care about safety, air quality, groundwater, and reliable service. We can protect all of those things without pretending affordable energy is some dangerous fringe concept.
If Initiative 177 makes the ballot, the people should debate it straight up. Support it, oppose it, explain it, campaign on it, and let voters decide. That is how this is supposed to work. The legislature’s job is not to stand at the ballot box with a roll of duct tape and a worried look.
Source: The Colorado Sun
