It was encouraging to see a key lawmaker among ruling Democrats at the Capitol buck his own party’s standard-bearer last week.

The kudos goes to state Sen. Dylan Roberts, the Frisco Democrat who chairs the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Roberts not only proved pivotal in voting against two of Gov. Jared Polis’ nominees to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission but also provided public candor for his reasoning — sadly, much too rare under the Gold Dome these days.

The nominees, John Emerick and Christopher Sichko, ultimately withdrew their nominations after Roberts was a dissenting vote in Emerick’s 2–5 rejection and Sichko’s 3–4 disapproval by the committee.

Roberts didn’t mince words, telling Emerick he is neither qualified nor prepared to serve on the commission. As for Sichko, the senator told the nominee he would have been better suited for the at-large seat, given his lack of experience in big-game hunting and his lack of understanding that big-game hunting funds the agency. 

Emerick is the former treasurer of Colorado Wild, a pro-wolf organization. Sichko was selected by the governor to represent a seat that includes representing big game hunters, but Sichko, Colorado Politics reported, has held only a small-game hunting license since 2021 and has never hunted big game.

Roberts told Colorado Politics the confirmation hearing “made clear that they were not aligned with the mainstream of Colorado on these matters.” That was evidenced by the fact Polis appointed Sichko despite at least 12 other people with big-game hunting experience having applied for the same seat. 

The senator standing ground on his belief in restoring public trust in the commission and nudging Polis to find others to fill the positions is refreshing in the wake of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s multiyear wolf reintroduction debacle. That’s among other slights in Democrat-controlled Colorado in recent years to the agriculture, ranching and hunting communities and industries.

It’s also a sign in general to lawmakers there are opportunities to put the finger on the pulse of public sentiment and stand up for what Coloradans really want. Not only when it comes to legacy industries in Colorado like outdoor recreation and hunting, but also other parts of our economy.

Roberts’ disagreement, Colorado Politics reported, would have likely been echoed in the full Senate, which gets the final vote on a governor’s nominees. The votes reportedly just weren’t there. By all accounts, enough senators were willing to push back at the governor’s mad rush to pack the wildlife commission — an important and powerful institution — with people who embrace a fringe and obscure worldview on matters from ranching to outdoor recreation.

In Colorado, more than other states, it matters we have sensible, balanced wildlife, outdoor-rec and agricultural policies that look at the value of industries and balance wide-ranging, competing interests in managing public lands and resources.

We’re glad to see moderation and independence prevail in these nomination hearings, as they had when Roberts previously expressed misgivings about the way voter-approved wolf reintroduction was being implemented. More Colorado pols ought to practice this kind of pragmatic independence, moderation and deliberation in all arenas of appointing and lawmaking — even when it isn’t politically expedient.