"Local Governance" measure gets approval to try to get on the November ballot

DENVER, March 17, 2016 -- Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams announced this week that the backers of a proposed measure concerning "Local Governance" have completed the necessary steps to try to get the issue on the 2016 general election ballot.

Proposed Initiative 40 would grant local government more authority to regulate environmental issues, such as oil and gas. The language reads as follows:

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning a right to local self-government, and, in connection therewith, declaring that the people have an inherent right to local self-government in counties and municipalities, including the power to enact laws to establish, protect, and secure rights of natural persons, communities, and nature, as well as the power to define or eliminate the rights and powers of corporations or business entities to prevent them from interfering with those rights; and exempting such local laws from preemption or nullification by any federal, state, or international law if the local laws do not restrict fundamental rights or weaken legal protections for natural persons, their local communities, or nature?

The organizers behind the proposed constitutional amendment, Jeff Ruybal of Windsor and Merrily Mazza of Lafayette, must turn in 98,492 valid voter signatures by Aug. 8.

The Secretary of State's office earlier approved petition formats to collect signatures for the following proposals:

• No. 57: "Voter Registration"
• No. 47: "Iran Divestment of Funds”
• No. 53: "Independent Ethics Commission"

Already on the ballot is Proposed Initiative 20: "Colorado Care." Backers were informed last November they had collected enough valid vote signatures to put it before voters.