DENVER — Republicans are not taking their ball and going home.
Sen. Vicki Marble (R-Fort Collins), who posted on Facebook about seceding from Colorado, is not actively pursuing legislation to divide Colorado into multiple states.
"The secession movement is what I am hearing from people in my district, people in Mesa County, people down south -- Pueblo, El Paso County -- out on the Eastern Plains. It's not just my district, it's all over," said Marble.
Marble suggested secession in Facebook comments, prompted by growing Republican anger over Democrats fast-tracking sweeping oil and gas regulations in the state legislature.
“My recourse is SECEDE,” Marble wrote. “Boulder and Denver metro are so removed from the working man’s reality.”
In response to another comment, Marble wrote “SECEDE !!!”
A similar secession push was attempted by conservatives in Northern Colorado after Democrats passed gun control legislation in 2013. The effort made the ballot in several counties but failed.
"We have a lot of receptions here at the Capitol, and people from all over the state come and attend, and because of the bills that are being run, they are feeling for their economic viability that their hopes to succeed in life is to secede," said Marble.
She told Next with Kyle Clark, however, that she is not proposing any legislation to begin the process for parts of Colorado to secede into a 51st state or even part of Wyoming.
"If it's a peoples' movement, if it comes from the grassroots. I will support them, but my main goal is to recover the Senate for the Republicans and to work as hard as I can to make sure that happens in 2020," said Marble. "I think that when you hear about recalls and you talk about secession, that the bills that are being run are so egregious, this isn't taking your ball and running off the playground, this is serious life-threatening and business killing issues. They are not to be taken lightly. What's happening here at the Capitol isn't about a ball on the playground, these are peoples' lives."
Marble is the fourth-ranking Republican in the Senate minority.
Marshall Zelinger is the politics guy for 9NEWS and Next with Kyle Clark. You can reach him at marshall@9news.com or follow him on Twitter, @Marshall9NEWS.
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