Northern Colorado residents seek secession to join Wyoming

A group of Colorado residents are looking into the possibility of secession from their state to join Wyoming and escape Colorado's more liberal government, according to the group's Facebook page.

Christopher Richards is leading the push with his "Weld County Wyoming" political committee, which was created last year. The group is working toward getting a measure added to the November 2021 ballot that would encourage county commissioners to "engage and explore the annexation of Weld County with the State of Wyoming's Legislature."

"Denver and Boulder have declared war not only on Weld County but common sense itself with regulations designed to kill energy jobs," according to a Facebook post. "Putting radical animal rights activists in positions of power over the ranching industry, two of Weld's key economic drivers. They are also at war with small businesses."

An online petition with over 8,400 signatures also voices residents' frustration regarding gun rights, according to The Hill.

"Denver/Boulder have drove weapons manufacturers out of the state," the petition read. "Rural schools, hospitals and all rural communities are getting ignored. Denver/Boulder only care about Denver/Boulder."

Richards acknowledges the group faces an uphill battle in its effort to secede.

"Can this be done? Yes, it can be done. Is it going to be easy? No," Richards said during a meeting posted to YouTube late last year. 

The reallocation of a county would require votes in both state legislatures, as well as the U.S. Congress.

Jennifer Carroll, the mayor of Erie, a town in between Boulder and Weld counties, said that there is a lot to consider for Weld County voters.

She cited taxes on income, property and retirement income taxes as well as water rights "to name a few."

"As the mayor of Erie, I respect the process and the cornerstone of voting," Carroll said. "Ultimately, the people will choose the outcome. In my role, I can help residents discover the risks and benefits of such a measure. This measure will undoubtedly require a great deal of pre-education for voters."