Several northern Colorado counties are looking to form the so-called state of “North Colorado” after recent gains by Democratic lawmakers.
“The people of rural Colorado are mad, and they have every right to be,” said U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner, a Republican from Yuma, located in the state’s northeastern portion, according to the Denver Post.
The secession move has been primarily proposed by Republican officials and the new state would encompass Weld, Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma, and Kit Carson counties, located next to each other.
“The governor and his Democrat colleagues in the statehouse have assaulted our way of life, and I don’t blame these people one bit for feeling attacked and unrepresented by the leaders of our state,” Gardner added.
Commissioners in Weld County say there are a “collective mass” of issues brought about by Democrats. “There are a lot of people mad out there,” Greeley Mayor Tom Norton was quoted as saying. “You walk out onto the streets of Greeley and every third person says ‘What in the world are they (state lawmakers) thinking?’ ”
Officials say laws that restrict gun rights and raise renewable energy standards are the key issues, reported The Associated Press.
“I think this is the stupidest thing I’ve seen in a long time,” Larimer Commission Chairman Steve Johnson said, according to AP. “It’s hard to believe that this isn’t the dumbest thing I’ve heard of, certainly for this year.”
But Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway told ABC News that if there is enough interest, the secession bid will be placed on the ballot.
“We believe the way to move forward is to let people vote on this,” he said.
The deadline for being part of the secession movement is August 1 of this year, he added.
“If there is enough interest we’ll go ahead and put it on the November ballot,” Conway told the broadcaster. “We want it to be ready to go for the legislative session in January and have that debate as soon as possible.”
