Nev Dems making some progress, despite caving to repugs

NEVADA LEGISLATURE: Gibbons' veto of tax bill looms

Bill raising hikes to $1 billion on governor's desk

CARSON CITY -- Who won? Who lost? And is it all over?

Those were the questions on a sunny Saturday at the Legislature, the day after the frenzied passage of the budget and taxes.

With state spending for the next two years and tax hikes to fund it waiting for Gov. Jim Gibbons' veto, legislators don't have the business that usually occupies them for the last week of the session, set to end June 1.

The centerpiece of the budget compromise, a $781 million package of increases to existing taxes, landed in Gibbons' office around 4:30 p.m. Friday

The bill cleared its final hurdle when Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, gave in to Senate Republicans on their condition that the increases to sales, payroll and business license taxes expire after two years.

Including higher room taxes in Reno and Las Vegas, already approved, taxes in the next biennium would increase by some $1 billion.

"It was certainly a chaotic finish," said Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas.

"But in the end, stepping back, I'm pleased we were able to avoid implementing the governor's vision for our state: closing down UNLV, Draconian cuts to K-12 education, shutting mental health clinics. We made severe cuts but we also added revenue, and I think we achieved the best result for the state."

(LV Review Journal)

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And, as uual, despite the Dems caving to the repugs' wishes, most repugs still voted against the bill!

Thank goodness that the Dems are in power, but, as in Washington, DC, it seems like someone has to keep reminding them that they are in power and people want them to override the repugs.