Bob Walker, Denver Post, October 1st, 2026

We live in a remodeled 100-year-old house that has a basement coal chute. Early cities once choked on the smoke from burning coal for heat. Early residents could also burn trash in their yards. Thankfully, our ancestors had the foresight not to put the right to burn coal in our homes or trash in our yards in our state Constitution. 

Amendment 82 wants to lock the right to purchase or sell natural gas into Colorado’s Constitution. It is written in a deceptively simplistic and vague language. If passed, this bill will cause years of expensive lawsuits in Colorado. The amendment is unnecessary since it is already legal to buy and sell natural gas in the state. Amendment 82 is brought to you by a dark money group composed of very wealthy individuals possibly wishing to extend their fossil fuels profits.

Solar, wind and batteries get cheaper and more efficient every year. Gas does not. Nationwide electric heat pumps now outsell gas furnaces. As more people electrify their lives the costs of maintaining or adding new unnecessary gas infrastructure will fall on fewer people. They will see their monthly gas bills continue to rise. 

A dark money group wants to lock their favorite fuel into our Constitution. This is unnecessary and potentially very expensive as we move into the future. Please vote no on Constitutional Amendment 82.

Bob Walker