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The Nevada Tax System: The Short-Run Dynamics and Long-Run\nDynamics of Nevada Taxes\nA Framework for Public Policy Analysis\n

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- A new report predicts "disastrous" economic consequences unless Nevada invests more in higher education to train skilled workers and attract new businesses and industries. The report released this month by the Institute for Higher Education Policy said that in 2006, only 28 percent of Nevadans between the ages of 18 and 24 were enrolled in college, compared with 41 percent in top states.

Washington - Years from now, when Nevadans wonder why their state and others abandoned coal plants in favor of renewable energy, they are likely to remember these days. Washington is moving aggressively if sometimes in unseen ways to remake the nation's energy landscape. Intricate pieces of legislation are unfolding on Capitol Hill that would radically alter the nation's energy policy, one bill at a time. The big-ticket items are well known: cap-and trade legislation, for example, which would put a price tag on carbon emissions; a bill requiring that more of the nation's energy come from renewable sources, as President Barack Obama promises.

Assembly bill would tax renewable energy exported from Nevada.

Nevada health care scorecard. Overall rank: 46

State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford will propose a sweeping overhaul of Nevada's education system this week, with reforms that offer a sharp critique of the state's education establishment.

The Nevada Department of Transportation's board of directors will hold a special meeting March 12 to discuss economic stimulus projects, according to Gov. Jim Gibbons' spokesman. Includes story on higher education stimulus funding.

The appointment on Rep. Dina Titus' calendar last Saturday didn't appear controversial at first glance. Yet Titus soon realized that she was wading into a political firestorm.

The House passed the conference report (246Y/183N) on Friday, February 13, with the Senate taking a vote at some point this weekend. President Obama will then sign the legislation on President's Day. Information is slowly emerging on the details of the conference report between the House and Senate. NCSL will update this page as information becomes available.

The House and Senate conferees have reached a deal on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The agreement was reached late last night and has cut the total value of the bill to US $789 billion. The bill will be a boon for the renewable energy industry. All of the provisions that were contained in the Senate version of the bill were retained. In addition, the grants in lieu of tax credits clause that the House version of the bill contained made the final package.

The report, Shaping Nevada's Future: What the State Can Do to Invest in College Access and Success, reveals an investment in Nevada's higher education can lead to significant economic benefits for the state and its residents. The report uses a variety of existing data sources-along with interviews with state and local policymakers, K-12 and higher education officials, students, and citizens of Nevada-to explore the barriers that Nevada students face in their pursuit of postsecondary education. The study shows that many students-particularly those from low-income families and minority groups-are finding it difficult to gain access to and succeed in college.

CARSON CITY -- The Public Employees Retirement System has lost more than $4 billion on its investments since July, according to system executives who also told Nevada legislators Monday that they cannot legally cut benefits to existing participants.

An agreement spelling out a merger of operations for the Truckee Meadows� two biggest water utilities by next summer and a complete merger within in the next decade is expected to be voted on by

Carson City - Nevada businesses are facing a possible doubling of the unemployment tax they pay the state to keep benefits flowing to laid-off workers. The tax increase on employers would help Nevada avoid paying a hefty interest rate on a $1 billion loan the state plans to ask from Washington to fund the unemployment benefits pool, which is being drained in the recession because of record unemployment in Nevada. The alternative: keep the unemployment tax rate low because businesses are struggling in the recession, hope the economy turns around and fewer people look for unemployment benefits, and pay the federal loan back with interest when the state can better afford it.

Overview of the Nevada energy scene, summer of 2009.

CARSON CITY -- There is a chess game going on between the Legislature and Gov. Jim Gibbons. It could end in a constitutional crisis, or it could lead to the first on-time legislative session in a decade. Share & Save Newsvine Digg Fark Technorati reddit StumbleUpon del.icio.us Slashdot Propeller Mixx Furl Twitter MySpace Facebook Google Bookmarks Yahoo! Bookmarks Windows Live Favorites Ask MyStuff myAOL Favorites What is this? Most Popular Stories # OFFICER KILLED: Driver: No lights or sirens # Police arrest 28-year-old in Caesars slaying # Body of slain man found near Caesars Palace # NORM: Allergic reaction halts performance # FALLEN POLICE OFFICER REMEMBERED # NORM: Duke goes all-in against Rivers # Woman found stabbed to death # Driver in fatal crash says police cars didn't have lights, sirens on # NORM: Dion's husband OK after heart work # CAESARS PALACE DEATH: Man held in slaying of waiter Lawmakers are desperate to avoid the former, but time is rapidly running out, and any delay at this point could lead to a battle too ugly to contemplate.

Rooftops covered in solar panels. Miles of mirrors in the desert. Renewable energy boosters evoke both images while touting the coming green economy. But current market forces appear to favor the latter - large-scale utility plants.