May 10, 2012 06:45 PM UTC

One Bill That Can Probably Just Die

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: Special session begins Monday, 9NEWS reports.

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We didn’t want this story to slip away in the crush of other news this week–Durango Herald:

A Republican leader has run out of time in his bid to punish local governments that delay gas and oil drilling.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, originally wanted to withhold severance tax money for any city or county that gets in the way of drilling.

But that idea didn’t fly with Democrats and many Republicans on his committee, including Rep. J. Paul Brown, R-Ignacio. Sonnenberg made several attempts to narrow his bill, but to no avail.

On Monday, he turned the bill into a study of state and local jurisdiction of gas and oil drilling and removed all potential punishments for local governments…

Unfortunately for its proponents including Speaker Frank McNulty, House Bill 12-1356, even in its neutered study form, died with dozens of other bills in last Tuesday’s shutdown of the House over civil unions. In the special session set to convene in the next few days, some of the bills that were caught in Tuesday’s crossfire are likely to be run again.

We wouldn’t put money on this bill, neutered or full strength, joining them.