Frustrated Coloradans have been complaining since Inauguration Day that Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner won’t answer their calls or return email messages.

They have phoned to ask about President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations and executive orders. They’re worried about environmental and civil rights proposals and education policy. They want to know where Gardner stands and why he stands where he stands. The list of concerns is growing longer not shorter, and a new round of phone calls is set to begin.

Republicans members of the U.S. House voted Friday morning to lift rules requiring drillers to capture methane, a high-powered greenhouse gas that’s routinely lost to the atmosphere at oil and gas well sites on public lands.

The federal rule reportedly was based on a Colorado rule drafted by the oil and gas industry with environmental groups in 2014. According to a recent Colorado College poll, the rule is immensely popular with Colorado voters: 83 percent support keeping the rule in place; 11 percent favor its repeal.

All of Colorado’s Republican House members voted on Friday to roll back the rule. All of the Democratic House members voted against the rollback.

Colorado outlets have been quoting Jessica Goad, spokesperson for Conservation Colorado, who has drawn attention to Gardner. She says is being eyed as a likely swing vote for the fact that he represents a true “all of the above” energy and conservation state, which of course is also a political swing state.

“This will be one of the very first energy votes that Senator Gardner takes, and it is a critical litmus test for determining whether he stands with our Colorado way of doing things or with the zealous anti-regulatory ideology coming from D.C.,” Goad said in a statement.

This would be a good weekend for Gardner to catch up on constituent communications.

In addition to any coming methane rule rollback campaign, the Colorado Education Association is organizing rallies outside Gardner’s offices in Denver and Fort Collins in order to urge him to vote against the confirmation of embattled Trump education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos, whose full Senate confirmation vote is expected to be held Tuesday.

The DeVos vote will be very close. At least two Republicans have said they will join Democrats in opposition. Gardner would be the swing vote.

– john@coloradostatesman.com