SandBoxBlogs: Steamboat Today "State bill would withhold revenues from counties that thwart oil drilling "

Hooray!!

House Bill 1356 is being rewritten.

With the idea that only the counties that unnecessarily harm the oil and gas industry will be penalized.

Just maybe, Coloradans can finally gain some control over baseless, frivolous accusations, lawsuits and protests waged by extremist groups against energy development in Colorado.

"Save a gas rig.  Opt for fair representation.  Vote Sonja Linman (D-Garfield County)

Tom Ross:
"Steamboat Springs — A bill before the Colorado Legislature that appears to threaten hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual revenue to Routt County from energy severance taxes is on hold after a hearing before the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee on Monday.

As it stands, House Bill 1356 would have imposed a financial penalty on any local governments in Colorado that “in any way restricted or delayed the ability of an oil and gas producer to” exercise rights to extract oil and gas.

The penalty would come from the withholding of mining and energy-related severance taxes returned to local governments by the state.

County Finance Director Dan Strnad confirmed Tuesday that Routt County received $528,106 in severance tax revenues through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs in 2011. The money goes in the county’s Road and Bridge Department fund, Strnad said.

It appears the sanctions in the bill won’t be as far reaching when it returns to committee Wednesday.

The Durango Herald reported Tuesday that state Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, who co-sponsored the bill and chairs the committee, began Monday’s session by announcing he intends to rewrite the bill so that it applies only to governments that impose moratoriums on new drilling permits....."    (Read more?  Click title)

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