COLORADO: Weld County joins chorus of voices asking Polis to veto ‘backdoor’ emissions deal.

According to the Colorado Sun in April, SB 200 “would set firm caps on emissions for key sectors of the economy and give the Air Quality Control Commission power to enforce those caps.”

“We’re not willing to give dictatorial authority over our economy to one unelected board that lacks the broader mandate and expertise,” Polis told the editorial board of The Gazette in Colorado Springs when asked if he would use his veto power to stop the policy from becoming law.

However, in the meantime, lawmakers worked behind closed doors to take key elements from SB 200 and slide them into HB 1266 at the 11th hour, Saine said. They didn’t remove, however, the part that originally led Polis to threaten a veto.

The strict emissions enforcement for reductions in the oil and gas, industrial and electric sectors remained, as did the creation of an ombudsman and environmental justice board.

SB200 doesn’t sound quite as extreme as Directive 10-281, but give them time.