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."

According to a report released earlier this year by the Colorado School of Mines, the oil-and-gas industry is the state's largest, making up fully 6 percent of Colorado's economy.  According to the study, Colorado's oil and gas industry pumped $22.9 billion into the state's economy in 2005.

Penry held up a sign at the event which read: "It's the economy, Gov. Ritter."

Earlier today, the office of Legislative Council, the legislature's nonpartisan research staff, released its quarterly report on the state of Colorado's economy.  The bleak findings contained one ray of hope for economic growth--the energy sector.  The report predicted that strong energy-sector job growth is expected to continue, helping bolster the state's overall economy.

"I've just come from the JBC and our chief economist said that the sector that's keeping our state's economy from a total free-fall is the oil-and-gas industry," Penry said, addressing the crowd.

When Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, reached the podium he took an informal survey of the crowd and asked, "How many of you like jobs?" where, unsurprisingly, the whole crowd raised their hands.  Gardner jubilantly responded, "Well, I do too--but if we continue down this path, too many of them are at stake."