Colorado Democrats have officially killed House Bill 1277, a controversial proposal that sought to slap climate warning labels on gasoline pumps – and fine retailers up to $20,000 per violation for failing to comply.
This was one of the more painfully stupid bills this session. By its logic we should also put warnings on RTD bus passes, anything with a computer chip, or any North Face jacket. All rely on fossil fuels or mining.
Stickers aren’t solutions – they’re just performative nonsense. https://t.co/YRszpV9amz
— Tyler Sandberg (@wtylersandberg) April 24, 2025
This misguided attempt to shame consumers and penalize small businesses in the name of “climate transparency” has been officially stopped in its tracks. It’s a win not just for fuel retailers, but for every Coloradan who relies on their vehicle to get to work, school, or the grocery store.
A Troubled Bill From the Start
Sponsored by Reps. Jennifer Bacon and Junie Joseph along with Sen. Lisa Cutter, HB 1277 would have required every gas station in the state to post labels warning consumers that burning fuel contributes to “global heating” and “significant health impacts.” Violations of this labeling requirement would have been prosecuted under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act – with massive $20,000 fines per infraction.
However, the proposal immediately drew fierce criticism across party lines. Small business owners, trade associations, and even state agencies pushed back against the bill’s punitive nature. Mary Zarmak, a local gas station owner argued the bill was excessively punitive:
“This is the most punitive bill I have ever encountered in the state of Colorado. Fines of $20,000 thousand dollars per day for a sign that the state is asking us to pay for and it’s nothing short of virtuous virtue signaling from a highly funded environmental group.” (emphasis added)
Even some Democrats in the legislature acknowledged the fines were excessive. Rep. Amy Paschal (D-18) admitted in March:
“But it [the fine] does seem really high and punitive to me. Especially when I look at the situation of someone who is a mom and pop gas station and you know five days could be a hundred thousand dollars, that seems exorbitant to me.”
Polis Veto Threat Loomed Large
Despite passing the State House earlier this month, the bill hit a wall in the Colorado Senate Transportation and Energy Committee. Facing mounting opposition – including skepticism from the Governor himself – Sen. Cutter asked for the bill to be withdrawn at Wednesday’s hearing with little explanation. The committee unanimously obliged, effectively killing the legislation.
Environmental groups like 350 were quick to place blame on the Governor, accusing him of caving to industry pressure:
“Groups were counting on Gov. Polis to stand up against the assault on truth coming from the new federal administration, but this trust was misplaced,” Leathwood said.
However, for most Coloradans, Polis’s concerns simply reflected common sense. Fuel is a necessity – not a luxury – and the idea of punishing consumers for simply using it to get to work struck a nerve.
BOTTOM LINE: With HB 1277 dead, Colorado avoids another layer of red tape on an industry that already operates within some of the most stringent environmental regulations in the entire country. It also avoids sending a dangerous message: that working families who can’t afford electric vehicles should be shamed for simply driving to work.
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