environment
The first of almost a dozen ballot proposals to allow greater local control of oil and gas development cleared an important hurdle Friday, winning clearance from the Colorado Supreme Court.
Known as Initiative 75, for now, the proposed constitutional amendment would give local governments more control over businesses and corporations that impact the health and safety of a community. That would include oil and gas drilling and hydrolic fracturing operations, which are regulated at the state level with some input from local governments.
The Colorado Community Rights Network, which successfully backed voter-approved fracking regulations in Lafayette, is heading up the initiative.
A political action group in Arizona is gearing up to enter a citizen’s initiative in the state’s 2012 elections, which would allow individuals using solar power to trade environmental credits in exchange for discounts on income tax, while making solar more affordable. The “Go Solar in Arizona” Economic Development Initiative, initiated by the Arizona Solar Power Society, has been filed before the office of the Arizona Secretary of State for inclusion on the Arizona 2012 ballot, to offer voters a chance to vote yes in favor of the initiative.
An amendment to the state constitution that has cleared the Legislature would guarantee the public a right to state beach access. Current state law guarantees that right, but it is not in the state constitution. The amendment will be on this November’s ballot for voters to decide.
Area residents are collecting signatures on a petition to place protecting natural resources and wildlife as a top priority in the County Comprehensive Plan. Petitions are located at several local businesses, and petitioners plan to turn in the petition at the June 11 town meeting.
Last year California Proposition 2 was passed by voters and placed minimum size restrictions on cages for chickens on farms. A bill in the state Assembly would extend those rules to apply to eggs from out of state.