When the massive Outdoor Retailer market moved to Colorado from Utah last year in a fight over public lands, the die was cast to mold together the business and the politics of getting outside.
The ticketed summer show for retailers and vendors opened at the Colorado Convention Center Monday. At the top of the political list: The Boulder-based Outdoor Industry Association released its first congressional scorecard to coincide with the show. The report derived the grades from blending together votes on bills and advocacy positions the trade group supports, including opposition to methane flaring on federal lands, oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and leasing plans by the Bureau of Land Management.
This year, because so many bills dealt with public lands, the results might appear skewed to the left, where Democrats have positioned themselves to protect national monuments and limit development.
All of Colorado’s Democrats in Washington scored A’s. Republicans scored C’s, except for Rep. Ken Buck of Windsor, one of the most conservative members of Congress, who got a D. Unlike most advocacy groups that issue scorecards, the Outdoor Industry Association maintains that it is, on balance, bipartisan.
Read more at Colorado Politics: https://bit.ly/2LLC68f
