Senate Approves Ritter's Anti-Energy Independence Appointment

Yesterday we highlighted the shallow reserves of common sense behind Gov. Ritter's appointment of Matt Baker to head the Public Utilities Commission. Today the Democrat-led state senate approved Baker's commission, over the objections of Republicans who raised very serious questions about the man's "narrow, ideological agenda":

"We can't turn on the lights in Colorado without meaningful coal generation," Penry said, dimissing "Matt's very narrow-minded view of how we provide electric generation."

Senate GOP leader Andy McElhany echoed that concern, warning, "It is a mistake to appoint someone to a quasi-judicial board who has such a bias against the least expensive fuel available to us."

As State Senator Shawn Mitchell observed, his Democratic colleagues' vote represented "waving the white flag on energy independence." So much for a moderate governor or a moderate majority party in the state legislature.