Republicans in the Colorado Senate advanced a pro-fracking measure Friday that makes a statement in advance of a long-awaited report on new limits on the oil and gas industry.
The Senate bill would penalize local governments that limit drilling procedures, especially hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
When a government makes a mineral owner’s underground property less valuable, the government should pay the owner, Republicans said. “People have a right to be compensated,” said Sen. John Cooke, R-Greeley.
Democrats opposed the measure, which faces almost certain defeat in the Democratic House. They argued that if mineral owners are owed money for fracking bans, then surface property owners should be owed money, too, if drilling near their homes diminishes property value.
Drilling has been the elephant in the room this session, with lawmakers avoiding the divisive topic until the release next week of a task force report on the dilemma.
The task force was set up to broker a compromise between the oil and gas industry and critics who say cities and counties should be free to place strict limits on drilling practices.
“Hopefully, the task force will come up with something real,” said Sen. Matt Jones, D-Louisville.
