Gov. Bill Ritter on Monday blasted the oil and gas industry for claiming that a proposed ballot initiative to raise severance tax revenues would hit Coloradans with higher utility bills, steeper pump prices and pit local governments against energy firms.

"I know they can say that, but it's not accurate and it's not fair," he said, referring to the industry's assertions about higher consumer costs.

Ritter, who spoke to the Rocky Mountain News editorial board, backs the initiative, which calls for eliminating an ad valorem tax credit that currently allows energy companies to significantly cut their state severance tax.

At an event downtown later in the day, Ritter said the measure has garnered more than 137,000 signatures from citizens - nearly double the roughly 76,000 needed to get on the November ballot.

If passed by voters, it will raise roughly $321 million a year - with the bulk of the money going to college scholarships.

Ritter cited Colorado's "minuscule" contribution to world oil supplies having no impact on prices in a global market.

As for natural gas, he said it is the transport of gas to markets outside of Colorado via new pipelines that has driven up prices.

"If you really look at pricing in this industry, removal of this subsidy is not something that's going to impact (prices) in a substantive way," Ritter said.

Ritter also criticized industry for saying the measure will prompt energy companies to resist local governments when they want to raise property taxes to fund school districts or other local needs. "Shame on industry if they say they will oppose (school) bonds," he said, adding that energy companies should support local communities in which they operate if they care to be good neighbors.

Ritter said he was the "underdog" in the fight, expecting industry to raise up to $20 million to oppose the measure - compared with the $5 million likely to be spent by its supporters.

He also reiterated his decision not to weaken his administration's move to toughen drilling rules in exchange for industry agreeing to a severance tax hike.

Industry officials worry that the measure would more than double their severance tax burden.

Colorado would rise to become the No. 2 highest taxation state, behind No. 1 Wyoming among the nation's top nine oil- and gas-producing states, according to a study by Jose Luis Alberro, a director at consulting firm LECG LLC. Colorado currently ranks No. 3 for oil taxation and No. 4 for gas taxation.

Higher taxation implies higher costs of production, leading to higher oil and gas prices for customers, said Stan Dempsey of the Colorado Petroleum Association, which paid $50,000 for the study.

"Any time costs are up for any type of business, the effective higher price will be passed on to consumers," Dempsey said.

chakrabartyg@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2976

Flurry of last-minute initiative filings

Colorado voters could face the longest list of issues to make the statewide ballot in almost a century. Not since John Shafroth served as governor 96 years ago has the number of questions promised to cover so much ground. A flurry of last-minute filings Monday brings the total number of possible ballot questions to 19. The record for any single ballot was 32, in 1912. State officials will determine in the next few weeks whether a dozen of this year's proposals received enough valid signatures to be approved for the ballot.

Filed on Monday

* INITIATIVE 76: Just cause

Would require an employer to provide a reason for firing a worker. Number of signatures filed: More than 130,000.

* INITIATIVE 82: Discrimination/ preferential treatment by Colorado governments

A countermeasure to Amendment 46 that outlaws quotas and systems in which job or college applicants earn points based on their race or sex but allows other affirmative-action programs to continue.

Number of signatures filed: More than 115,000.

* INITIATIVE 92: Health coverage for employees

Would require employers with 20 or more workers to provide health care coverage for workers. Number of signatures filed: More than 174,000.

* INITIATIVE 93: Safe workplaces

Would allow an employee to sue for damages in addition to any settlements from the workers compensation system. Number of signatures filed: Almost 155,000.

* INITIATIVE 113: Severance tax

Would reduce energy company tax breaks and use revenue to pay for college scholarships and other programs. Number of signatures filed: More than 137,000.

* INITIATIVE 126: K-12 schools funding

Would lift constitutional limits on state spending and direct additional revenue into an education fund. Number of signatures filed: 164,000.

Pending petitions filed previously

* INITIATIVE 59: Campaign finance curbs

Would bar sole-source government contractors and unions with exclusive bargaining powers from making contributions to political candidates.

* INITIATIVE 74: Corporate fraud

Tougher sanctions for fraud committed by businesses, executives.

* INITIATIVE 120: Severance tax - transportation

Would allocate more severance tax money to transportation.

* INITIATIVE 121: Gaming

Would allow casino towns to vote on whether to increase bet limits to $100 from $5, expand hours of operation and add games.

* INITIATIVE 128: Sales tax for disabled services

Would increase the state sales tax (by 2 cents on every $10) to fund services for those with developmental disabilities.

Already approved for the ballot

* AMENDMENT 46: Colorado Civil Rights Initiative

Prohibits the state from granting preferential treatment to anyone on the basis of race, sex or ethnicity in hiring, education, contracts.

* AMENDMENT 47: Right to work

Would outlaw agreements requiring workers covered by union contracts to pay fees for representation.

* AMENDMENT 48: Definition of person

Would ban abortion by defining personhood as beginning at fertilization.

* AMENDMENT 49: Public payroll standards

A measure that would ban governments from taking deductions directly from employee paychecks for any nongovernmental special interest group.

Referendums

* REFERENDUM L: Would lower the age of a candidate for the Colorado House and Senate from 25 to 21.

* REFERENDUM M: Would eliminate obsolete provisions in the state constitution about land value increases.

* REFERENDUM N: Would eliminate obsolete provisions in the constitution about intoxicating liquor.

* REFERENDUM O: Would increase the number of signatures required on petitions for constitutional amendments to at least 6 percent of votes cast in the previous election for governor.

Not on the ballot

Some of the earlier proposals that proponents either withdrew or did not gather adequate signatures for:

* Allowance for quiet time in which children could pray at the start of each school day.

* Creation of Clean Energy Progress Fund with a fee on global-warming pollution production.

* Legalization of alternative health care providers.

* Increase in the valuation of nonresidential property.

* Mandatory annual cost-of-living increases for all workers.

* Allowance of a parent to excuse a child from public school attendance.

* Creation of a low-income housing fund through a real estate transfer tax.

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