A group representing Colorado River Basin interests in water discussions within the state has come out in opposition to Amendment 52.
The Colorado Basin Roundtable voted unanimously to oppose the measure, which would divert severance tax funds from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and water supply projects to transportation projects.
“The roundtable believes the state of Colorado faces too many critical water supply issues to straitjacket funding by the policies of this ballot question,” the group said in a news release last week.
The group also opposes putting into the Colorado Constitution a fiscal policy now under the state Legislature’s purview.
Severance tax revenues are generated by energy development. The amendment would limit future severance tax revenues for the Department of Natural Resources to 2007-08 levels, adjusted for inflation.
The roundtable says that while the state faces billions of dollars in transportation funding needs, the same is the case for water supply projects.
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