More than 30 civic and business groups vow to defeat Prop 112 as opposition to job-destroying ballot measure grows

More than 30 civic and business groups vow to defeat Prop 112 as opposition to job-destroying ballot measure grows

“The intent of this proposal is to in-effect ban almost all oil and gas production in Colorado.” – Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce

“More than three quarters of the jobs destroyed by this ballot measure will come from outside the state’s oil and natural gas sector … That is why you are seeing the business community working so hard to defeat this measure.” – Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry

“The economic damage from Proposition 112 could literally trigger a recession in Colorado, and our coalition will make sure voters fully understand the consequences of this deceptively written ballot measure.” – NFIB Colorado

DENVER (Sept. 12) – The coalition to defeat Proposition 112 continues to grow, with more than 30 civic and business groups and dozens of current and former elected officials vowing to defeat the economically destructive ballot measure pushing by national “keep it in the ground” groups.

The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Club 20, the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, the Colorado Municipal League and the Colorado chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business are some of the latest groups to formally announce their opposition to Proposition 112. They join a massive bipartisan coalition that includes both candidates for governor, Jared Polis and Walker Stapleton.

“The intent of this proposal is to in-effect ban almost all oil and gas production in Colorado,” said Kelly J. Brough, President and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. “But Colorado is a model for the country on how we can produce energy and protect our people and our environment. Proposition 112 goes too far and hurts our economy, hitting Colorado’s rural communities the hardest.”

“Working families and business owners all across the state will suffer if Proposition 112 becomes law,” said Loren Furman, Senior Vice President of State and Federal Relations for the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, and a Vital for Colorado board member. “According to a recent analysis, more than three quarters of the jobs destroyed by this ballot measure will come from outside the state’s oil and natural gas sector. We are a major oil and gas producing state and you cannot effectively ban oil and gas production without causing huge damage across the entire economy. That is why you are seeing the business community working so hard to defeat this measure and to convince our fellow Coloradans to vote no on 112.”

“This ballot measure targets the oil and natural gas industry, but there’s so much more at stake,” said Tony Gagliardi, Colorado state director of the National Federation of Independent Business. “The economic damage from Proposition 112 could literally trigger a recession in Colorado, and our coalition will make sure voters fully understand the consequences of this deceptively written ballot measure. It doesn’t just ban drilling near residential areas – it also bans drilling in rural and sparely populated areas too. The facts are so clear that both gubernatorial candidates have called out Proposition 112 as a statewide drilling ban and vowed to oppose the ballot measure.”

Associations

• Denver Metro Commercial Association of REALTORS
• Colorado Homebuilders Association
• Colorado Bankers Association
• Colorado Association of REALTORS
• Colorado Association of Mechanical and Plumbing Contractors
• Mechanical Contractors Association of Colorado
• Mechanical Service Contractors Association of Colorado 
• National Certified Pipe Welding Bureau, Colorado Chapter
• Colorado Farm Bureau
• Northwest Douglas County Economic Development Corp.
• Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs
• Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
• American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Colorado
• South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce
• Metro North Chamber of Commerce
• Highlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce
• Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce
• Colorado Business Roundtable
• Colorado Apartment Association
• Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS
• Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance
• Economic Development Council of Colorado
• Colorado Contractors Association
• Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC
• Associated General Contractors of Colorado
• Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
• NFIB – Colorado
• Club 20
• Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry
• City of Centennial
• Colorado Municipal League

Elected Officials

• State Representative Lois Landgraf
• State Representative Dave Williams
• State Representative Larry Liston
• State Representative Shane Sandridge
• State Representative Paul Lundeen
• State Representative Susan Beckman
• State Representative Terry Carver
• State Representative Paul Rosenthal
• Former House Majority Leader Amy Stephens
• Former State Representative Rob Fairbank
• Former State Representative Spencer Swalm
• Former State Representative Frank Defillipo
• State Senator Bob Gardner
• State Senator Jack Tate
• State Senator Owen Hill
• State Senator Kevin Priola
• State Senator and Joint Budget Committee Member Kent Lambert
• Former Mayor of Centennial Cathy Noon
• Former State Senator Bernie Herpin
• Former State Senator Andy McElhany
• Former State Senator Nancy Spence
• Former State Representative and Candidate for HD 17, Kit Roupe
• Arapahoe County Commissioner Jeff Baker
• El Paso County Commissioner Longinus Gonzalez
• El Paso County Commissioner Mark Waller
• El Paso County Commissioner Peggy Littleton
• El Paso County Commissioner Stan VanderWerf
• El Paso County Commissioner Dennis Hisey
• Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway
• Weld County Commissioner Julie Cozad
• Weld County Commissioner Mike Freeman
• Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer
• Weld County Commissioner Steve Moreno
• Former Douglas County Commissioner Mary Michael Cooke
• Former Mayor Tom Norton
• Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers
• Colorado Springs City Councilman Andy Pico
• Colorado Springs City Councilman Tom Strand
• Colorado Springs City Councilman Don Knight
• Colorado Springs City Councilman Merv Bennett
• Colorado Springs City Councilwoman Jill Gaebler
• Former Douglas County School Board President Kevin Larsen