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Colorado Ballot Initiative 97 Is Headed to the Ballot, But Don’t Lose Hope Just Yet

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Over the last several weeks, anti-fracking protestors from around the country have flocked to Colorado to gather signatures for controversial ballot Initiative 97. Much to the dismay of the state’s energy sector, it appears as though the activists may have won a significant victory in the fight to turn Initiative 97 in the law of the land. 

But hope isn’t lost just yet.

The Aforementioned Victory

To turn an initiative into a measure, supporters of the legislation need to gather 98,492 verified signatures. Initial estimates indicate that proponents of Initiative 97 handed over 170,000 signatures at the deadline.

In years past, that’s been something of a challenge for any attempts to get anti-oil-and-gas legislation on the ballot. In 2018, however, the (ahem) climate surrounding the energy industry is especially turbulent, a factor that no doubt played into the success of Initiative 97. Unfortunately for those people who have been lulled into the belief that they’re saving their state, a growing number of experts believe that the passage of Initiative 97 could prove catastrophic for the state’s economy.

The Fallout From 97

Though it’s being sold as a salute to the state’s environment, Initiative 97 could prove costly. Over the first decade, the state could lose up to 150,000 jobs. What’s more, a best-case scenario puts the loss to Colorado’s economy at $170 billion over the first decade.

That loss isn’t restricted to the oil and gas industry, either. Construction, healthcare, hospitality, and government jobs would fall under the axe of Initiative 97.

Why It’s Not as Bad as It Sounds

Just because Initiative 97 is in the race doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing. First, the ballot initiative has some competition right out of the gate, and it’s a doozy. The Colorado Farm Bureau banded together to introduce Initiative 108, a measure that would penalize the government for taking or devaluing landowners across the state. The passage of such legislation would make it harder for anti-fracking activists to pass restrictive laws in the future.

Then, there are the numbers in question. One hundred seventy thousand signatures sounds like one heck a lot, right? It isn’t. In 2016, Colorado ballot initiatives received roughly 2 million votes on either side. In 2014, the last midterm year, ballot measures still clocked about 1.8 million votes per. In other words, 170,000 signatures in the pro column is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to election day.

Of course, the most prominent opponent of Initiative 97 is its supporters, who lean largely Democrat. In midterm years, Republicans vote. Democrats may be outraged, but Republicans show up to cast their votes, and that is bound to make the biggest difference when election day finally rolls around.

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Organization Skills of Anti-Fracking Group Are a Boon to Colorado Oil and Gas

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If we’re dependent upon the organizational skills of the top-level operators hoping to put Colorado Initiative 97 on the ballot, then it looks like the state oil and gas industry doesn’t have too much to worry about.

Anti-fracking organization Colorado Rising has spearheaded the gathering of signatures over the last several weeks in the hopes of getting Initiative 97 on the ballot in November. Unfortunately, thanks to what The New York Times referred to as a “routine contract dispute” with an out-of-state political consultant named Mike Selvaggio, several hundred of the gathered signatures went missing.

Ballot Initiative 97 proposes that oil and gas projects throughout the state of Colorado would be forced to ensure that extraction projects are at least 2,500 feet away from schools and domiciles. If passed into law, the measure would make 85 percent of non-federal land in Colorado off-limits to oil and gas production.

A few days later, it turned out that Selvaggio’s firm had closed its doors because it was owed money for its service. While Colorado Rising denies that claim, it makes sense that some “missing signatures” would have been the natural result of a lack of payment on the part of the anti-fracking group.

Either way, the potential failure of Initiative 97 because of bureaucratic bungling is enough to take some of the pressure off those fighting against the passage of this harmful legislation.

We’ve spent a lot of time discussing Initiative 97 over the last several weeks, not because the tumult makes for good stories, but because this legislative maneuver could devastate the energy industry in Colorado. The 2018 ballot is filled with several other hopefuls (including one that would finally make slavery illegal, but Initiative 97 is far and away the most pressing. Should it find its way onto the November ballot, it’s more important than ever to get out and vote to protect the economy and prosperity of Colorado.

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Colorado Energy Sector Faces a Tough Battle in November

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The oil and gas climate in the United States is mostly positive at the moment. After several rough years, a friendly administration has allowed the professionals of America’s energy sector a few months to breathe. There’s no time to celebrate in Colorado, however, as the oil and gas sector is prepping for a fierce battle at the ballot box in a few months time.

The Most Restrictive Initiative in Years

With each new election cycle, anti-fracking protestors find some new means of waging war at the legislative level. In 2018, however, they’ve cooked up a doozy in Colorado Ballot Initiative 97. The proposal would see Colorado’s rules on production setback increase from 500 feet for residences and 1,000 feet for schools to well over 2,500 feet.

According to Scott Prestidge, a spokesman for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, Initiative 97 would cripple the state’s oil and gas sector in one fell swoop. “A 2,500-foot setback would shut down Colorado’s oil and natural gas industry and lead to a massive layoff of over 100,000 local jobs,” says Prestidge. “We hope Coloradans read before they sign any petition that would place this dangerous measure on the ballot.”

The Shifting Face of the Capitol

Should initiative 97 fail to ignite voters, there’s still plenty of room for damage to be done in November. At present, Republicans hold a narrow one-seat in the state’s Senate. Should the voting public shift toward the Democrats, that majority could evaporate, leaving the State legislature looking like a very unfriendly place for oil and gas businesses.

It remains to be seen if the “blue wave” will come to Colorado, but the economic ramifications of such an ideological shift could be dire.

Get Out and Vote Already

The upcoming elections in Colorado are more critical than merely picking a new governor. There are some very tangible threats to the ease with which Coloradans live their lives. Either a liberal-leaning state Senate or the passage of Initiative 97 could have far-reaching consequences in sectors far beyond energy alone.

When November arrives, at last, don’t miss the opportunity to make sure your voice is heard on every level in Colorado. Make sure to vote your conscience, vote for the economy, and vote for a thriving future in The Centennial State.

alloilandgasjobs.net

A Look at the People Who Are Sustained By the Oil and Gas Industry

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In the United States, there is an ongoing war on the people who provide oil and gas to their fellow citizens. While most of the vitriol is aimed at the men and women who sit on the boards of major companies, the unwarranted assault on oil and gas is felt by everyone employed in oil and gas.

An average employee in the energy sector, whether they work in the fields or the office, tend to find their profession treated with, at best, casual dismissal. At worst, they get to listen to half-informed lectures about the damage they’re doing. Some in the press have called outright for oil and gas employees to quit if they have any ethics. So rampant is the ongoing smear campaign that the next generation has no interest in a career in oil and gas because they consider the sector, “harmful to society.”

The surprising thing is, a big chunk of those millennials are working jobs in industries supported by the men and women who ensure that the world’s energy needs are met. In 2015, the US oil and gas industry supported more than 10 million jobs and accounted for more than 5 percent of total United States employment. Yet, oil and gas employees still face hardship when going about their daily life.

Kyle Bertrand is the third generation owner of a laundromat in Louisiana, a state where oil and gas supports almost a million jobs. Though the family business has always provided the essentials, in recent years, things have become much more lucrative, thanks to oil and gas. Over the last several years, as the state has improved its infrastructure, building pipelines nearby. As the owner of a laundromat, Bertrand gets plenty of business from the men and women working for the oil and gas industry.

“They are good people to do business with,” he says. “Most of the guys are happy to have somebody to smile and be polite to them.”

In a nation where everyone relies on the fruits of oil and gas’ labor, it’s shocking to see professionals so accustomed to mistreatment, especially when they’re providing the means by which a considerable portion of the country support themselves.