Nevada Legislature

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.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Jim Gibbons said Friday he has reached an agreement with legislative leaders on a bipartisan plan to handle state government's $341.7 million budget deficit without laying off workers or cutting essential services. "This will have a minimal impact on state services," Gibbons said about their plan designed to balance the budget in the fiscal year that ends June 30.

There might be a silver lining in the economic crisis, at least for students tired of taking tests. State Superintendent Keith Rheault is proposing eliminating a state-mandated exam as a way of cutting $1 million from the state budget.

CARSON CITY - Active and retired state workers will see a 5 percent increase in the cost of their health insurance. The state Public Employees Benefit Board decided Wednesday to save $23 million over the next fiscal year by reducing the state subsidy to health insurance premiums.

Legislative leaders and administration officials just finished a conference call and agreed on a "tentative framework" for cutting $331 million to $400 million from the state's budget, Speaker Barbara Buckley said Tuesday evening.

CARSON CITY -- Although the amount of money the Nevada Department of Transportation spends in Clark County is increasing, the state's most populated county still receives much less in transportation spending than its citizens pay in fuel taxes. During the past five years, the department has spent an annual average of $325 million on Clark County construction, maintenance and other types of highway projects. 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 # POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Freedom's Watch effort winding down # THE FACES OF HARD TIMES: 'We put our trust in people' # NORM: Olympic medalist shows other skills # NORM: Gans closes out tonight at Mirage # NORM: New restaurant serves up Sinatra # NORM: Make room for new, bigger clubs # NORM: Britney-LV buzz hard to nail down # Beltway interchange opens # LV police find body, suspect homicide # 'Straw' buyers land loans That is 61 percent of the statewide average annual spending of $530 million. Nearly 73 percent of the state's 2.8 million residents are from Clark County. They contribute 70 percent of the state's motor fuel taxes.

Carson City - So long, balanced budget. Hello, deficit spending. Legislators and Gov. Jim Gibbons announced on Tuesday a tentative agreement to bridge the state's $300 million budget shortfall by making $150 million in cuts and - to spare agencies even deeper cuts - borrowing $150 million from a local government investment account. If the plan is approved by the Legislature during a special session set for Dec. 8, it would be the first time since at least the Great Depression that Nevada has balanced its budget by borrowing money, according to state government observers.

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.

Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, and Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley chided Sparks city officials today for the Legends redevelopment project that they say has cost the state tax revenue.

A steep contraction in the per-pound price of molybdenum - down from an early-September price of $34 to just $11 by the end of the month - has significantly impacted Nevada mining companies.

University Medical Center administrators are proposing to reduce or eliminate half a dozen hospital services to offset an estimated $8 million shortfall anticipated with the first wave of Medicaid cuts. The county's only public hospital already has dropped its outpatient oncology service, sending 400 people by year's end in search of other chemotherapy providers. Today, administrators will propose to Clark County commissioners making cuts to select programs and services...

Most legislative sessions don't start with a dress rehearsal. But last week's special session gave a sneak peek at what may lie ahead when the Nevada Legislature's regular session begins in February.

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.

Yes, it has, but the economic meltdown in much of the country has been a boon to the county and its 5,000 residents, 4,000 of whom live in the Battle Mountain area.\n\nThe reason: They mine gold in Lander County, a mineral-rich area that is a major reason Nevada, nicknamed the Silver State, is also the world's fourth biggest producer of gold.

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.

At first, Nevada expected little revenue from gaming. Here's how that changed over time. When Nevada legalized gaming in 1931, it was almost an afterthought. The modest levies on card games and slots would be the garnish. The main course through tough economic times, state leaders believed, would be looser divorce laws adopted during the same legislative session to lure unhappy spouses to spend time - and money - in Nevada. The gaming bill's author, freshman legislator Phil Tobin, couldn't know that 78 years later the quality of Nevada's schools, public safety and services to the poor would depend on how much tourists drop in the slot machines and bet at the tables.

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