First to qualify, months ago, was Amendment 38, which would extend and make numerous changes to the petition process. But it's likely to get lost in the money and publicity surrounding the marriage amendment, domestic partner benefits, prohibition on state services to illegal immigrants and the Referendum C rollback.

Of the seven issues on the ballot, five are referendums. The legislature has asked the people to approve domestic partner benefits, modify recall election laws, extend the senior homestead tax exemption to disabled veterans and, a hardy perennial, repeal obsolete statutes and constitutional provisions.

The fifth referendum seems designed to confuse voters contemplating the other initiative already on the ballot. Both require school districts to spend 65 percent of their operating budget on classroom instruction, but Amendment 39 seems more serious than Referendum G.

Rick Reiter, a political consultant, is tracking the progress of pending initiatives. Their success depends on having the money to pay circulators to gather the necessary 68,000 valid signatures by the Aug. 7 deadline.

Virtually certain to make the ballot soon, according to Reiter, is the marriage amendment ("a union between a man and a woman") and the prohibition on providing state services to illegals (even though the sponsors admit it's more symbolic than real).

Also rolling along are proposals to increase the state minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.85; limit growth in metro counties and to mandate more "affordable" housing; Jon Caldara's attempt to provide refunds to taxpayers by limiting Referendum C revenues; and former Senate President John Andrews' attempt to require more frequent public review of appellate judges and to term-limit them to 12 years.

Colorado Springs conservative Will Perkins' attempt to prohibit state and local governments from providing same-sex couples with the same benefits married couples get is farther back. But if his makes the ballot, he'll be matched by gay activist Tim Gill's counterproposal.

An initiative to legalize marijuana is rumored to be running out of the money needed to pay circulators. It might need an influx of cash to make the ballot.

The possible 15 amendments on the Nov. 7 ballot would exceed the modern high of 13 issues that made the 1992 ballot. There were an even dozen on the 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000 ballots. The number has slumped since then.

The highest number of issues - 32 - appeared on the 1912 ballot, the first year the initiative was legalized in Colorado. The number dived to 16 in 1914, and then fell again in subsequent years.

According to the Legislative Council, the average number of proposals from 1912 through 2000 was seven per election. There has been at least one proposal on the ballot in even-numbered years every year since 1912.

When the Golden stockbroker first ran for office, he couldn't be bothered with starting at the bottom. His first try was for state treasurer, back in 1986. Undeterred by his loss to Democrat Gail Schoettler, he tried again in 1990 - and lost to her once more.

In 1994, on the assumption that nothing prepares you for higher office better than defeat, he ran for governor. He made the GOP primary ballot behind state Sen. Mike Bird, but both of them lost to oilman Bruce Benson, who petitioned on. Benson went on to be beaten by incumbent Roy Romer.

In 1998, Sargent scaled back and ran for the Regional Transportation District board. He won, but victory apparently taught him that the journey is more rewarding than the destination. Just one year into a four-year term, he declared the board "dysfunctional," resigned in protest over RTD policies and walked out with his belongings in mid-meeting. The Jefferson County commissioners had to pick his replacement.

Now he's ready for one more try. While attending the recent Jefferson County GOP assembly as an alternate - "lower than the belly of a snake" - he learned that the erstwhile GOP candidate for Senate District 20 had withdrawn.

When no one else stepped forward, he persuaded a vacancy committee to let him make the race against incumbent Democrat Moe Keller. "You can't just sit there and let her have a cakewalk," he said.

But he's about to turn 72 and if it doesn't work out the former Marine aviator will cheerfully return to flying his Cessna 182 for the Civil Air Patrol. "I do not need to do this," he said.

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