Secession and Nullification in Colorado

In response to a few years of anti-rural, anti-gun, and high tax government in Denver, some rural counties in northern and eastern Colorado have proposed that they secede from Colorado. At the center of the effort is the Weld County government, which is controlled by rural and agricultural interests, and relatively more bible-belt-ish compared to much of the state.

In addition, the northeastern part of the state is experiencing an oil-driven boom thanks to oil discovered in the Niobrara formation. These newly oil-rich counties also want to opt out of regulations they anticipate will be coming from Denver.

So, there’s actual money at stake, and not just political theory.

We might also note that the Weld County commissioners have voted to nullify recently-passed state laws on guns.

Although I expected immediate condemnation by pretty much everyone, the Congressman who represents the region has -so far- not denounced the idea. All the usual sources of official opinion, such as The Denver Post, mock the idea, of course. And the general attitude among the elites is that the people supporting secession are a bunch of rubes we hate. But they better not dare leave us.

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9:12 am on June 12, 2013