(The Center Square) – Advance Colorado, an influential conservative action committee, has filed three ballot measures addressing “consumer choice in energy.”
If they receive the necessary number of signatures, the proposals would all appear on an upcoming statewide ballot.
“In Colorado, working families like to make their own choices when it comes to the products they purchase, the vehicles they drive and the stoves they cook on,” said Michael Fields, president of Advance Colorado. “It’s essential to remind government that it has no business telling us what we’re allowed to spend our hard-earned money on. These ballot measures protect the rights of consumers to choose the products that work best for them.”
The first measure is an amendment to the state’s statutes, meaning it must receive signatures from at least 5% of all votes cast in the last state election to appear on the ballot.
It would specifically recognize a “consumer right to energy choice.”
It would prohibit state and local governments from banning certain products based on the energy source used, saying that “access to energy to power and heat homes, cook and operate equipment is a matter of statewide concern.”
It also states that government regulations on common-use products and services such as gas-powered or propane-fueled vehicles, stoves, heaters and lawnmowers create “severe financial, safety and practical burdens for working citizens.”
The second measure grants the same rights as the first, but looks to amend the state’s constitution. This means it must receive signatures from 2% of all registered voters in all 35 state Senate districts.
The third measure is also an amendment to the state constitution, defining a “right to natural gas.”
Under that measure, state and local governments would be prohibited from banning the use of natural gas as an energy source for cooking of heating and home or business in Colorado.
Advance Colorado has successfully advocated for other ballot measures in previous elections, carving out a path to successfully pass conservative policies in a state that has become a Democrat stronghold in recent years.
These three measures all look to address recent legislative moves toward clean energy products and services, with states like California considering bans on certain gas or propane products.
Some municipalities in Colorado are also phasing out natural gas, moving toward alternatives like electric in new construction.
Elyse Apel is a reporter for The Center Square covering Colorado and Michigan. A graduate of Hillsdale College, Elyse’s writing has been published in a wide variety of national publications from the Washington Examiner to The American Spectator and The Daily Wire.
