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Jun. 19, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Democrats try to avoid special session

But Gibbons says cuts need legislative action

By MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL
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Democrats in the state Assembly hope a special legislative session can be avoided altogether by coming up with budget cuts that would cover the shortfall and wouldn't require passage by the entire Legislature, Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera said after a Wednesday meeting of the Assembly majority party caucus.

"We're going to work as hard as we can to not have a special session, quite frankly," Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, said. "We think if we work with the Senate, we can get there. Whether the governor's going to play ball, I don't know."

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    • Gov. Jim Gibbons plans to issue the proclamation Sunday to call the Legislature into session beginning Monday, a move Democratic legislators believe is unnecessary.

    Gibbons, a Republican, says some solutions to worsening state budget shortfalls require legislative approval, such as canceling 4 percent cost-of-living adjustment raises for state workers.

    Oceguera said there is "no support" among Assembly Democrats for revoking the raises. With Democrats holding a 27-15 majority in the lower house, such a measure could not pass without significant Democratic support.

    An estimated $90 million of the $120 million in raises are set to go to teachers. Oceguera said taking back the raises would be legally thorny because teachers have already been promised the raises in contract negotiations.

    "It just doesn't make sense, and it's not the right thing to do," Oceguera said, noting that fuel and food prices have risen by more than 4 percent in recent months and workers need the money.

    Oceguera said the Assembly Democrats also had no love for a proposal floated by Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki to borrow against the state's tobacco settlement money. He said the caucus didn't have specific cuts to recommend, however, because there's no firm estimate yet for the shortfall.

    Projections from official sources have ranged from $60 million to more than $200 million.

    "We need a number," Oceguera said. "We've kind of got a moving target."

    Legislative fiscal analysts are scheduled to release an updated estimate at noon today, he said, after which the Assembly majority will regroup.

    "We haven't made any recommendations at this time, the reason being the number is bouncing all over the place."

    If the special session does go forward, Oceguera doesn't foresee Democrats trying to enact tax increases that would raise additional revenue to refill state coffers.

    Proposals to raise hotel room taxes or state payroll taxes were touched upon only briefly in Wednesday night's meeting, he said.

    The more immediate goal is to make it to the regular 2009 legislative session, Oceguera said.

    "We all know there needs to be some long-term fixes, but I don't know if this is the time," he said. "We need to fill the gap until the next fiscal year. We think we can fill it, but we know there needs to be long-term solutions."

    Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.



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    Yo, furious wrote on June 19, 2008 07:33 PM: Mow your own lawn or get desert landscaping! Any taxes ILLEGALS may pay is far outweighed by the drain they are on every aspect of our society. Hospitals closing or going bankrupt, school overcrowding and redistricting, crime .. the list is long and the answer is simple. Enforce the law .. which means dealing with ILLEGALS and sending them back where they came from.


    tiger wrote on June 19, 2008 05:48 PM: Furious, you are an idiot. Illegals with fake papers fill out their W2 as single with 20 dependants so no federal income tax is taken out. Ask any employer. Also, federal taxes don't pay for the public schools. Do you even know what taxes pay for the public schools? I work hard for my money to put food on the table and a roof over my families head. I don't want to take money out of my pocket to give a free education to people who are breaking the law by being here. If it means a lazy a@@ like you has to pay a few more dollars to get his lawn mowed, so be it.


    Cut the FAT (fraud) wrote on June 19, 2008 03:58 PM: Furious- we should put legal, welfare recipients to work on those jobs in order to get their check. Illegal aliens should not be here.

    Brian, who says raise Taxes? Yeah, when Taxpayers are suffering big declines in home values and paying more for gas, food etc. Idiot.

    There is a lot of FAT in Governement that must be cut! The Fat may be fraudulent in many cases... charging money for nothing. Is there any Government employee reading this that can give me a few examples of fat or fraud that should be cut?

    I understand the need for basic services (fire, police, teachers, water), but there is a lot of FAT beyond that.


    Furious wrote on June 19, 2008 03:23 PM: Shut up Tiger. Most illegal aliens pay the same taxes you do, and if they use the so called "fake papers" they're even withheld taxes at the federal level, they never get back. You don't want them here, YOU go do the work they do. Wanna mow my lawn in 120 degree heat?


    tiger wrote on June 19, 2008 02:14 PM: I have a great way that the teachers can get their pay increase. Kick illegal aliens out of school. That should provide more than enough money.


    Government in "inaction" wrote on June 19, 2008 12:12 PM: Allen .. you read my mind! Couldn't have said it better myself.

    For anyone who wants to see how the legislature really works, plan on a trip to Carson City Feb through May next year. It can be the most disgusting, game playing, power brokering, "you scratch mine and I'll scratch yours" exhibition you will ever see. The b.s. is on both sides but it was something to see first hand the dems in action. Yup, the last thing they want is to have to take a stand on the issues that they have deftly avoided for years. Keep kissing up to the unions and illegals .. sock it to everyone else.


    republician realist wrote on June 19, 2008 12:10 PM:
    The cowardly Gibbons needs to get over his impossible promise and raise sales tax a penny. I, for one would much rather keep my job and see others keep theirs and pay a bit more on what I spend.
    I'm also up for that 4 percent raise and understand that it can't stand if I want to see other people keep their jobs.

    Everyone needs to tighten their belts, buck up and get through this! Governor Moonbeam has failed in every way... why hold on to this promise? It's pandering plain and simple.


    red wrote on June 19, 2008 10:41 AM: Civics lesson: The govenor (whether you like him or not) does not raise or lower taxes - his is a suggestion that is either approved or denied by the legislative body!


    strad wrote on June 19, 2008 08:59 AM: If you start messing with teacher's salaries and going back on your word, your teaching talent will start leaving the area to go work somewhere where people stick by their word. And you really won't like the results when class sizes are 50+ because there isn't enough teaching talent in the building. If you don't believe that will happen, go ahead and cut out one of the (very few) incentives for teaching in this state. See what happens.


    Brian wrote on June 19, 2008 08:29 AM: The governor is the coward, not the democrats. If he had any guts, he would raise taxes.

    FF, I am a teacher and I will swear on a Bible I never received a 10% raise ever. How does 4% turn into 10%? Maybe you need to return to school and pay attention in your classes this time.


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