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Lawmakers Deny AG Office's Budget Request Following Fracking Lawsuit

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman has filed a lawsuit against the City of Boulder to lift its moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, and now state lawmakers are not allowing more funding for her office.

Coffman asked for more than $300,000 to add another prosecutor and improve cyber security.

The House of Representatives voted 44-20 on Friday to deny a budget request from the Attorney General's Office.

Heroin Bust Presser  (3)
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman announces a major heroin ring bust (credit: CBS)

The Boulder moratorium expires May 1 first but Coffman says she had no choice but to sue after a Colorado Supreme Court ruling last year that barred local governments from banning oil and gas development.

"I can't remember a time when our general assembly decided to play politics with supplemental funding bills -- especially when the politics had nothing to do with the substance of the supplemental funding request," Coffman said in a prepared statement. "Our supplemental appropriation dealt only with efforts to improve cyber security and assist the education department. It has literally nothing to do with the lawsuit in Boulder where I am simply fulfilling my obligation to enforce Supreme Court precedent. I hope they reconsider."

State Democrats were reported to be surprised by the support from the Republicans.

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