The Colorado business community was taken by surprise by the introduction of a bill late last month that reverses over a year’s worth of rulemaking on Colorado emissions standards. The rule was carefully crafted to balance Colorado’s environmental and economic goals, and just was just completed a few months ago.
Some legislators were dissatisfied that the AQCC adopted balanced regulations, which led to a proposal that reverses all of the tedious work of the Colorado Chamber, coalition partners, state agency officials, and other stakeholders.
House Bill 1339 overhauls the state’s emissions standards – again – moving the goal posts and imposing harsh regulations on the business community. This proposal would put taxpayers on the hook to repeat the same rulemaking process again to reach a different conclusion. This will also create significant new costs for businesses who are trying to comply with Colorado’s complex and ever-changing environmental laws.
HB 1339 could also set a dangerous precedent for any other state regulatory efforts in the future. If such significant environmental policy changes can be overturned almost immediately, it opens up any other future rulemaking to instability. This puts into question the integrity of the process and creates unnecessary government waste.
Businesses need consistency and predictability in regulations to operate effectively. They need time to adapt to the many new regulations coming from the state before introducing new ones and changing course. HB 1339 contradicts good governance, driving industries – and jobs – out of state.
Please tell members of the House Energy and Environment Committee to OPPOSE HB 1339.