State Senator Vicki Marble Says She Wants to Secede

(Bye! – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

State Senator Vicki Marble at the Capitol

State Senator Vicki Marble (R-Fort Collins), the third ranking member of her party’s leadership team, proposed secession as “recourse” to a “global agenda,” represented by a bill to strengthen health and safety rules for the oil & gas industry.

Posting a picture of the public hearing for the “Protect Public Welfare Oil And Gas Operations,” aka SB19-181, which lasted for twelve hours and featured testimony from hundreds of proponents and opponents, Marble wrote:

No discussion, no stakeholder process, and no consideration for the hundreds of thousands of workers in oil and gas and their families. Democrats have declared war on oil and gas and have deemed these workers and their families as “collateral damage.” Unacceptable, and I’ll fight it ever step of the way.

In response to a comment on her post agreeing with her sentiment, Marble replied,

“you are right on target. This is a global agenda. My recourse is SECEDE. Boulder and Denver metro are so removed from the working man’s reality. We are considered “collateral damage” as we are not in their realm of approved industries for their approved utopian scheme. Talk about sanctimonious…. this is the classic definition.”

Asked in another comment if the response options are limited to recalling legislators or suing to stop the bill’s implementation, Marble again offered her solution: “SECEDE !!!”

Sen. Marble lives in Fort Collins, the fourth-largest city in Colorado. She represents Senate District 23, which includes parts of Broomfield, Weld and Larimer counties. Downtown Broomfield, which is part of the Denver metro area according to the US Census Bureau, is part of the district. Most of the town of Erie is also within SD23, including the luxury golf course community of Vista Ridge, where the median home price is $530,000.

As Minority Caucus Chair, Sen. Marble’s call for secession makes her the second member of the Senate Republican leadership team to suggest that some portion of Northern Colorado abandon the state, albeit in a different manner. Following last year’s election, Assistant Minority Leader John Cooke, (R-Greeley) proposed that Weld County leave Colorado and join Wyoming.

“I’m thinking we oughta join Wyoming instead of seceding,” [Cooke] said. “We have a lot more in common with Wyoming than Boulder.

A voice message left with Sen. Marble’s office requesting clarification as to specifics of her plans for secession was not immediately returned. This story will be updated with any response.


29 Community Comments, Facebook Comments

  1. JohnInDenverJohnInDenver says:

    I'm not certain what all would be required for a secession.  I'm assuming a vote of the people in the district on a resolution, petitioning Congress for a new status. 


    Chance of the current Colorado state legislature forming a majority to allow secession?  I'd guess pretty dim, but stranger things have happened.  Prior precedent for West Virginia suggests there would be some need to apportion debts, consider payment for existing state owned property, and set a time table for establishment of the new status. 

    If the secession was an action to join with Wyoming or Nebraska, there would need to be some interesting discussions in the legislatures of either state. They could appreciate the additional population and resources — but may also be hesitant about adding an area likely to be more liberal than their current populations. 

    Chance of a majority in each chamber of the US Congress (and presumably a 60 vote cloture in the Senate)?  With legislators recognizing they would be setting a precedent for the possibility of mischief from other dissatisfied areas of multiple states, I'm fairly certain there would be a difficult time developing a majority. If it were an action to set up a 51st state, I think most would require a "balancing" state for Senate representation — so, statehood for Puerto Rico?

    Chance of a Presidential signature? Who knows —

    • RepealAndReplace says:

      Northeastern Colorado as more “more liberal” than anything is difficult to imagine.

    • MADCO says:

      It's more complicated than that.
      But in the end – it's an anti-American, anti-democratic, delusion.

      The research is interesting – it usually starts with Texas and SCOTUS.
      But I always start with Jefferson and Louisiana. Then Tippecanoe and Tyler too – through Trist.  Then Texas and SCOTUS.

      JIC – I am glad the Union won the war, I favor statehood for DC and Puerto Rico. The US should have the Baja and Colorado River delta – two chances, blew the Treaty and the purchase. Colorado counties with less than 2500 residents should be eliminate, merged into one or more of their neighbors.

      Weld County O&G producers would not like the severance bill in Wyoming. (And Wyoming doesn't want them)

      Who was it that announced if the D's win – they would move out of Colorado?


    • Gilpin Guy says:

      In Gilpin County, we've looked at recombining our school districts but the big kicker is always how much we would have to pay Boulder Valley School District for our share of all the bonds that have been issued.  Seccession like Brexit sounds sexy but when you put real numbers to the idea, it comes up short financially.  This is all the usual sound and fury by Republicans when they aren't in power.  How about running some non-crappy candidates so you have a chance in our elections to gain or hold onto your precious power.

  2. mamajama55mamajama55 says:

    Girl, please. Don't go away mad, just …..go away.

  3. unnamed says:

    Hey Vic, here's an idea.  Why don't you just personally secede from Colorado.  You'll have to resign as a State Senator, but you weren't representing your constituents anyway.  You would also have to move outside the borders of the state.  But that will make the states' collective IQ rise. 

  4. Genghis says:

    One person bitching about the need to go isn't a proposed secession; it's a proposed move. And taking territory from one state to set up a new state isn’t secession; it’s setting up a new state. 

    But hey, if the nutters can persuade Congress and the state legislature to let them go, fine and dandy. The primary downside is having yet another dirt poor wingnut enclave that blue states will be required to carry financially.

    And, if memory serves, Colorado Pols designed the perfect state flag for the new entity awhile back. 

  5. VoyageurVoyageur says:

    Testimony from "hundreds" of people in 12 hours, with time out for lunch and potty breaks.  I doubt that.  Attended by hundreds maybe, with perhaps 100 five-minute speakers.

  6. Early WormEarly Worm says:

    I don't think that the call for succession is as nutty as the reason she thinks it is necessary. When they make these types of threats because they feel that someone is coming for their guns, or threatening their god, or challenging their free speech, it is an overreaction, but at least there is a (presumably) heartfelt principle at stake. But she is complaining about oil and gas regulations! Even if the regulations were confiscatory, which they are not, even if they were an overreach, which they are not, the oil and gas industry can defend itself, in the courts and in the next election. 

  7. Conserv. Head Banger says:

    I've said it before and I will say it again. Any county that wants to secede can do so just as long as they reimburse the rest of the state for all the infrastructure they have received from ALL Colorado taxpayers. Let's begin with UNC in Greeley and the community college in Sterling as starters.

  8. davebarnesdavebarnes says:

    "Governor OC"?
    What have I missed?

  9. 2Jung2Die2Jung2Die says:

    Like what CHB is touching on above, I would like to see some media outlet do a decent analysis on the possible financial balance sheet regarding secession or threats thereof. What say you, media outlets?

  10. Diogenesdemar says:

    “ . . . hundreds of thousands of workers . . .”


    . . . Forget it, she’s on a roll.

  11. Budded says:

    Isn't it funny how conservaderps, always the victims, never act like adults, discussing things, but instead would rather shit their pants and throw a tantrum. They're not adults anymore and need to be ignored and voted out. If they act like adults again, we'll welcome them back.

    Besides the oil and gas-rich areas becoming their own state, taking a lot of state revenue with them, having a huge number of evangelitards secede into their own rightwing utopia is a tantalizing thought.

  12. Stan Weekes says:

    I'm going to recommend to my good friend, Sen Marble,

    that she go with a Sanctuary instead of a secession.

    If the Dems can foist it about immigration issues with the Feds,

    then the various districts/counties should fling it at the State.


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