Severance tax battle looms in Colorado; neighbors begin session

The 44 state legislatures that meet annually are starting to convene. In Colorado, one of the hottest items on the agenda will be the possibility of increasing the state's mineral severance taxes. Colorado's severance tax is currently 5% of the market value for oil or natural gas. Coal pays a flat per-ton tax there. Here's today's Denver Post editorial.

State legislatures in our region that convene today include Tennessee and Mississippi. Both will open their respective sessions at Noon today. Missouri convenes tomorrow, Louisiana next week, and Oklahoma next month.