Weld County voters will soon vote on whether to secede from the state to form “North Colorado,” the Greeley Tribune reported, making Weld one of six northeastern Colorado counties that have placed the initiative on upcoming ballots.
Proponents of the initiative say the state legislature is not recognizing its “main economic drivers, agriculture and energy.” The movement emerged in July mainly out of opposition to several environmental and gun bills: one, which passed, requires rural energy cooperatives to get 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020; others, which failed to pass, addressed the growing number of oil spills; and a statewide law requiring background checks for all gun purchases and limiting magazines to 15 rounds.
Weeks ago it seemed as though the initiative was losing steam and supporters had settled for a plan to change the method of county representation in the state legislature, but Weld County’s move confirms that supporters haven’t given up on the idea of secession. Achieving secession is a long shot, however, as the U.S. Constitution requires approval from both the state legislature and the U.S. Congress.
(HT: The Fix)