Former gas company executive Sheffield Nelson, upset over legislators’ disdain for his proposal to increase the severance tax on natural gas, on Wednesday chastised a state lawmaker for accepting campaign contributions from the gas industry.

Nelson, who also twice ran unsuccessfully for governor and is a former member of the state Game and Fish Commission, called the acceptance of contributions to Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, “a conflict of interest.”

Dismang said later he was disappointed by what he described as a personal attack from a public figure he respects, but was unapologetic for his support for an industry he said has benefited his constituents.

At a news conference, Nelson presented reporters with copies of Dismang’s fourth quarter 2008 campaign contribution reports, which showed Dismang received $2,750 in contributions from companies doing work in the Fayetteville Shale Play in northern Arkansas.

A review of Dismang’s campaign contribution reports for 2009, 2010 and 2011 by the Arkansas News Bureau showed the senator received at least $11,250 in additional contributions from companies drilling for natural gas in the region.

Dismang and a group of 17 other members of the House and Senate City, County and Local Affairs committees sent a letter last week to the Arkansas Municipal League critical of the organization’s endorsement of Nelson’s proposal, which would raise the severance tax on natural gas from 5 percent to 7 percent.

“I’ve never seen such a heavy-handed act by any legislative committee or any legislator in all my years in politics and being around Legislatures in general,” Nelson said, adding that Municipal League members were “intimidated and threatened.”

“This is absolutely terrible,” he said.

The letter said the tax hike could cost the state jobs and added, “In these tough economic times, protecting Arkansas jobs and our local economies should be a priority for all of us.”

Nelson said he has no immediate plans to file an ethics complaint against Dismang but did not rule out a complaint being filed by someone after the next round of campaign contributions are disclosed in February.