House Democrats are targeting Colorado “coal rollers” — drivers who modify emissions controls on their diesel cars or trucks in order to intentionally spew black smoke and soot.

“This is harassment and it is blinding to bicyclists,” said Rep. Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins. “We heard testimony on that. It’s harassment to pedestrians, to people running or jogging, people eating out at a restaurant. It’s not just along the roads. It’s all of those people.”

Coal rollers disable computer clean-burning programs in their vehicles and sometimes remove exhaust filters. They sometimes install smoke stacks to exaggerate the effect, moving down roadways belching emissions like 19th-century locomotives. The drivers often reportedly target commuting bicyclists and hybrid vehicle drivers. Coal rollers reportedly are sometimes referred to as “Prius dusters.”

Ginal’s bill, HB 1319, which includes Max Tyler, D-Lakewood, as a co-sponsor, would create a Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense for anyone intentionally emitting the tell-tale plumes.

Similar bills have been introduced elsewhere around the country. Last year, Republican Gov. Chris Christie signed a similar bill into law in New Jersey.

Ginal said she was asked to take up the issue by constituents, including the Fort Collins Police Department.

“Fort Collins Police are the people who actually brought this to me along with the downtown development authority, along with the city of Fort Collins because this is an issue. And I thought maybe it’s just a Fort Collins issue. But it isn’t just a Fort Collins issue. It happens in many cities up and down the Front Range, along the Western Slope or anywhere in between,” Ginal said last week.

Republicans opposed the bill as unnecessary. They said it could tag drivers of diesel trucks not modified to intentionally emit increased pollution.

Rep. Yeulin Willett, R-Grand Junction, an avid bicyclist, said that, despite his experiences with drivers rolling coal, he planned to vote against the bill.

“In my district we have a lot of turbo diesels, a lot of F-350, a lot of coal rollers,” he said. “But what I found is that two years ago this was a problem, and slowly through education, through bicyclist showing respect, through some confrontation, this problem has gone away. This is a matter of local control. (Fort Collins) can easily pass a local ordinance.”

The bill passed the House on a party-line vote Monday. It will face greater resistance in the Republican-controlled Senate.

-Ramsey@coloradostatesman.com