In a display of solidarity, Senate and House Republicans joined hundreds of energy-industry workers to send Democrat Gov. Bill Ritter a message--stop alienating the state's largest and fastest-growing industry--energy.

Dozens of lawmakers and energy-industry leaders gathered on the west steps of the Capitol today to warn the governor that his controversial picks for and restructuring of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission could have dire consequences for the state. 

Under legislation passed last year by the Democrat-controlled legislature, the commission is conducting a complete re-draft of the rules that govern oil and gas exploration. The upshot is expected to be greater restrictions on energy development.

Rally participants waved signs reading "Please Don't Count Us Out!" in an effort to compel the governor to rethink his stance on traditional energy sources.  They charged that the new rules will undoubtedly increase energy costs and lower state and local tax revenue, all on the brink of a recession.  

"We all care about keeping our environment clean and healthy," said Sen. Josh Penry, a Grand Junction Republican. "But we also have to ensure that our economy remains robust and thousands of jobs are not jeopardized at this time of economic uncertainty."

The Senate Local Government committee gave unanimous support to a Republican measure intended to help fire departments recruit and retain volunteer firefighters--helping them secure health-care coverage. 

"Many of our state’s 250 fire protection districts rely on volunteer firefighters and there has been a decline in the number of those willing to volunteer," said bill sponsor Sen. Mike Kopp, a Littleton Republican. "By simply de-regulating the insurance market a little we can make a big difference on the cost of health care that our state's volunteer firefighters must pay.”

House Bill 1334 would allow volunteer firefighters to pool their numbers in order to buy affordable health insurance. The bill's advocates say many people are hesitant to become volunteer firefighters because of the high price and difficulty of finding insurance.  

“Volunteer firefighters are the backbone of our organization” Jamie Bumgarner, Fire Chief of the Larkspur Fire Protection District, told committee members. “This is a chance to make a difference, and to change the future (for volunteer firefighters) down the road."

The bleak economic outlook released today by the legislature's nonpartisan research staff leaves a gaping hole in the state's highway budget, Republican lawmakers say, and reaffirms the need for their plan to secure transportation funding in the constitution.

The GOP legislators also say the projected drop in tax revenue to the state--given the impending economic downturn--calls into question Democrat Gov. Bill Ritter's flirtation with a generous new leave policy for state employees that is likely to cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

The new, quarterly figures from the office of Legislative Council show that the flagging economy will cost the state government a bundle in tax revenue. The five-year forecast for revenue to the state's operating budget is $487 million lower than the projection

issued by the office last December. That translates to a drop, since the last forecast of $441 million in the funding allocated to highways under the current budgetary formula.

Republicans point out the statutory formula routinely is held hostage to lawmakers' various other budget priorities and pet projects.

"As it is, the General Assembly has been committing highway robbery by siphoning off transportation money for other programs," said Senate GOP chief Andy McElhany. "With this big drop in revenue on the horizon, we had better move fast to lock up what money we can, or there will be hardly a dime left for highways."