Date: 04/30/2012
Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB12-1356
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES
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04:09 PM -- House Bill 12-1356
Representative Sonnenberg presented House Bill 12-1356. He responded to questions from the committee regarding the bill's language concerning restrictions and delays on the ability of an oil and gas producer to extract oil and gas. Representative Sonnenberg answered questions from the committee.
04:28 PM -- Kevin Bommer, Colorado Municipal League, spoke in opposition to the bill and discussed the impact of the bill on local governments.
04:36 PM -- Geoff Wilson, Colorado Municipal League, answered questions from the committee concerning Governor Hickenlooper's oil and gas task force, the amount of funding that local governments receive from severance tax, and the impact that severance tax funding has on local governments. (Attachment C)
04:49 PM -- Gerald Suchan, representing himself, spoke in opposition to the bill.
04:51 PM -- Alan Curtis, City of Sterling, spoke in opposition to the bill and discussed some language in the bill that is not defined. Mr. Curtis answered questions from the committee about how "delay" should be defined in the bill.
04:55 PM -- Michael Bellmont, Longmont resident, spoke in opposition to the bill and discussed the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission's mission relating to health and safety. Mr. Bellmont answered questions from the committee.
05:05 PM -- Barbara Green, Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, Colorado Conservation Voters, and Colorado Common Cause, spoke in opposition to the bill and discussed her concerns with the bill. She also discussed her involvement with the Governor's oil and gas task force.
05:10 PM -- Robert Thomasson, representing himself, spoke in opposition to the bill and discussed the impact severance taxes have in Elbert County.
05:14 PM -- Dariel Blackbern, representing himself, spoke in opposition to the bill and spoke about the impacts of hydraulic fracturing and impacts of the bill on local governments. Ms. Blackbern answered questions from the committee.
05:27 PM -- George Saum, representing himself, spoke in opposition to the bill and discussed the impact that severance tax dollars have on communities.
05:31 PM -- Rick Blotter, Elbert County, spoke in opposition to the bill.
05:33 PM -- Marsha Miller, representing herself, spoke in opposition to the bill.
05:35 PM -- Val Stepien, representing herself, spoke in opposition to the bill and discussed the health impacts of oil and gas development.
05:38 PM -- Dianne Thiel, representing herself, spoke in opposition to the bill spoke about the time frame in which the bill was heard.
05:40 PM -- Bruce Eisenhauer, Department of Local Affairs, spoke in opposition to the bill and explained that production of oil and gas would continue if counties put a moratorium on new development for a specified period of time. Mr. Eisenhauer answered questions from the committee concerning the diversion of severance tax dollars to the General Fund.
05:45 PM -- Andy Karsian, Colorado Counties, Inc., spoke in opposition to the bill and explained the distribution of severance tax dollars in the event that a county adopted a moratorium on oil and gas development. Mr. Karsian answered questions from the committee about counties that currently have a moratorium on oil and gas development.
05:52 PM
The bill was laid over.
05:52 PM
The committee adjourned.