Trouble ahead seen for prisons, education programs

Friday, Jan. 29, 1999 | 11:26 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Legislative budget committees completed their preliminary review today of Gov. Kenny Guinn's $3.1 billion budget, and the trouble spots appear to be in prisons, funding for educational reform and his high school scholarship program.

Assemblyman John Marvel, the senior Republican, said he was "pretty well satisfied" with Guinn's recommendations that take a "business approach."

But Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, said more money may have to be pumped into education. Despite what Guinn says, Goldwater maintains there's been a reduction in funding for the public schools. But the third-term lawmaker, who is chairman of the Taxation Committee, said there is "no appetite" for new or increased taxes at this session.

The Legislature officially opens Monday, but the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee started overviews of the major budgets two weeks ago. Their detailed analyst will begin Tuesday.

"There will be some fights, but it's a little early for everybody to get their guns too hot," says Sen. Bob Coffin, senior Democrat on the Finance Committee. Coffin said he hears "more and more talk" about his suggestion to dip into an $128 million "rainy day" fund to offset some of the budget cuts. But he doesn't think the Guinn administration will buy into his plan.

Guinn, to balance the budget, slashed $140 million in proposed spending, eliminating some programs, curtailing others and laying off state workers.

The Legislature has yet to feel the full force of the pressure groups whose spending programs have been reduced or scrapped. And those lobbying efforts can often change minds.

"The constituency groups perform a real function, whether they be advocacy groups or nonprofits or lobbyists ... until they've seen the budgets and point out flaws or bonuses, we won't know all the nuances because they live with them (budgets) constantly," Coffin of Las Vegas said.

Noting the bare-bones budget, Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said "Anybody who comes in here, whether they are legislators or otherwise and who suggest augmenting the budget will have to come with proposed funding or take it from somewhere else."

Raggio, chairman of the Finance Committees, sees the key budget issues as continued funding for education reform, money for remediation in the schools and training of teachers.

He said there will be debate over Guinn's Millennium Scholarship program and the suggestion of letting a private company run the medical programs at the state prison.

There's already controversy over Guinn's suggestion to use part of the annual $48 million from the tobacco settlement to finance scholarships of up to $2,500 a year for high school students with B or better averages to go to Nevada colleges or universities.

Goldwater says "education has to be the priority of this budget" and suggests some of the tobacco money should go into public school programs before it is put into scholarships. And he wants to put some in Medicaid that provides health care for the needy.

The Nevada Association of Counties wants a slice of the tobacco settlement money. And Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa says the out-of-court settlement she negotiated limits use of the money for public health items.

Putting the medical programs at the prisons into the hands of private companies would throw more than 300 state workers out of jobs. The Guinn administration says many of these individuals would be hired by the private firms.

Prison employees and union representatives have already lined up to fight that recommendation.

Raggio said those who don't favor privatization of inmate health services will have to find an additional $5 million to keep the present system going. And finding $5 million in this lean budget won't be easy.

Marvel of Battle Mountain says some programs started two years ago during the administration of Democrat Gov. Bob Miller were "one shots", meaning they were given money to operate for two years with no assurance they would be continued. These include "Family to Family," which is being pared by Guinn. It helps new parents in a variety of ways.

Guinn officials say counties provide many of these same services.

In education, Guinn hasn't included any money for additional computers for classrooms, for "Schools to Careers," Holocaust Education, Classroom on Wheels and financial aid for public television and radio stations -- all funded two years ago.