Yesterday, the Colorado State Senate rightly rejected two bills that would have harmed the oil and gas industry – and delivered uber-liberal State Senator Morgan Carroll, who is running against Congressman Mike Coffman, a huge embarrassment.

The two bills, HB16-1310 and HB16-1430 would have lowered the standard of liability for oil and gas operators who were working near earthquakes and would have ignored just-passed rulemaking by the COGCC as a result of the Oil and Gas Task Force, respectively. Carroll, a trial lawyer herself, was the sole Senate sponsor of the earthquake bill, which would have benefited, wait for it, trial lawyers.

Dan Haley, President of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said, “this bill was seeking a solution for something that has not been a problem in Colorado and it sent a chilling message to other businesses and industries, which is why a broad and diverse coalition of business leaders and organizations opposed it.”

The two bills were up in the Senate Agriculture Committee and failed with just one lone Democrat voting for their passage. Rational Democrats hung her out to dry. Ouch. Rumor has it that she was visibly embarrassed and upset by the vote. And she should be – the earthquake liability bill would have absolutely crippled the oil and gas industry and the high-paying jobs it brings.

This sentiment was highlighted by Colorado Petroleum Council Executive Director Tracee Bentley, who also applauded the decision:

“These proposals would constrict the state economy and prematurely bypass the rules just implemented by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Tying Colorado’s hands against a future of economic opportunity with a patchwork of rhetoric-induced, broad and conflicting regulations does not make sense.”

Looks like, once again, Carroll has demonstrated her preference for running in a congressional district more like Boulder than the most competitive district in the county. If she can’t even get fellow Democrats to support her ideas, how is she equipped to represent mainstream Coloradans?