Oil, gas bill introduced; industry asks lawmakers to pump the brakes

DENVER — A pair of Democratic state lawmakers introduced a bill Friday that could transform the way the oil and gas industry is regulated in Colorado and plan swiftly to begin committee hearings, prompting industry leaders to demand a slowdown in the process.

Senate Bill 181, put forth by House Speaker KC Becker, D-Boulder, and Senate Majority Leader Stephen Fenberg, D-Boulder, is scheduled to go before the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee Tuesday.

If passed and signed into law as currently written, the bill would enhance “local governments’ ability…