All rights reserved. A bill approved by a legislative committee Tuesday to remake the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will face a stiff challenge when it reaches the floor of the House, state Rep. Mark Larson said. And the Cortez Republican says he plans to lead the fight. After being delayed for several days, the House Judiciary Committee approved the bill 7-6 with no comment. The measure, House Bill 1343, would limit to three the number of commissioners on the seven-member regulatory panel who can work for the industry.
Current law allows up to five members to be employed by oil and gas companies.
Because they agreed to support the committee's chairman. That chairman, state Rep. William Kaufman, R-Loveland, is the chief sponsor of the bill. State Sen. Jim Dyer, D-Durango, said Tuesday he would act as the measure's Senate sponsor if the measure makes it that far. Kaufman said he planned to ask Dyer to do just that. He plans to use a resolution he has proposed to form a legislative study committee on the matter to convince lawmakers that Kaufman's bill is premature.