DENVER — When Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a sweeping overhaul of Colorado’s oil and gas law three years ago, he declared that the state’s “oil and gas wars are over.”
Supporters and opponents of drilling have scoffed at the notion that the law, which toughened the state’s approach to drilling and enacted provisions such as a gas-flaring ban, ended the bitter fight about production. After all, skirmishes continue as environmentalists and neighborhoods seek to block drilling projects in the suburbs (Energywire, Nov. 4).
What has ended are the statewide referendums proposed by environmentalists to impose restrictions the industry considered crippling. Prior to the law, environmental groups tried four times to put measures to a vote, succeeding once in 2018. Voters rejected it. But no such measures have appeared on the ballot since the law passed.
Perhaps more importantly, the drilling restrictions in the new law aren’t a campaign issue as Polis aims to win reelection this week, despite surging gasoline prices and voter worries about inflation. Polls show him ahead by more than 10 points, and Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball considers rates the race “Safe Democratic.”
“Frankly, Polis is in a pretty strong position,” said Dick Wadhams, a former Colorado Republican Party chair and longtime party strategist, although he added that Democrats may be underestimating support for the industry among Colorado’s Hispanic voters in the long term. This year, that would likely...
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