Rural Colorado counties propose 51st state: North Colorado

County commissioners from rural Northeastern Colorado are pursuing a plan to splinter from the state and create a new one following a legislative session they say ignored the values that form the fabric of the region.

Such a drastic step has not been taken since the nation was at war with itself 150 years ago.

“Our vision and our morals are no longer represented by the state (Legislature) and the current (governor’s) administration, and we think it’s time that we do take seriously what our options are,” said Weld County Commissioner Douglas Rademacher. “This is just one of our options, but we will be moving forward with it.”

Colorado’s Democratically controlled Legislature this year passed laws to tighten gun control, increase reliance on renewable energy in rural areas and curb perceived cruel treatment of livestock. It mulled expanded regulation of oil and gas production, but those plans were narrowly defeated.

Talks of the split between citizens and local leaders in the predominantly Republican Eastern Plains began as the Legislature debated those issues, according to Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway.

“Northern and Northeastern Colorado and our voices are being ignored in the legislative process this year, and our very way of life is under attack,” he said.

At a gathering of county commissioners from throughout the state this week, a member of the House Democrats’ leadership team vowed to bring back proposals for stricter environmental standards for the oil and gas industry. That elevated the conversation about an Eastern Plains split from Colorado, Conway said.

In the weeks ahead, commissioners in Weld County and others are poised to hold hearings about the proposed break with an eye on referring ballot questions in the individual counties by Aug. 1 for the November election.

If voters adopted such a measure, it would ask the Legislature to petition Congress for creation of a new state. The General Assembly and the governor would need to approve the request.

House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, said it would be premature to say whether such a plan would stand a chance in the Legislature.

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[link to www.coloradoan.com]