One day after a contentious debate on the state’s proposed new rules for oil and gas drilling, the state House of Representatives today gave its final OK to the rules.
Despite the sharply divided chamber – most Democrats praise the rules and most Republicans pan them – the formal, recorded vote was not close. That’s because the legislature’s review of the drilling rules has been rolled into House Bill 1292, a bill that also gives the go-ahead to dozens of other rules created by numerous other state agencies.
Before voting today, a number of Republicans spoke against the rules one last time before admitting they couldn’t vote against the bill.
“This bill has pages and pages of rules that, if they weren’t to pass, bad things would happen. You know, dogs and cats would be together,” House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, said, adding levity to what was otherwise a somber tone from the Republican side of the aisle.
The other rules in the bill cover things like mortgage broker regulations, drinking water standards and requirements for care of the developmentally disabled.
Nonetheless, some lawmakers said they still wouldn’t vote for the bill to protest the oil and gas rules, which they said would be overly burdensome on the energy industry and cost people jobs in Colorado
Read more on this story, including how Democrats defend the rules at .
