Editorial: Legislature can’t forget vital issues

Sunday, Jan. 31, 1999 | 9:51 a.m.

The 1999 Nevada Legislature opens Monday, with a new 120-day limit on its length. This compressed time span means that many of the extraneous measures that could prolong a session will have to be discarded in order to get the vital work done on time. This year there are at least two important issues that unfortunately may get left by the wayside: health care reform and a review of the state's tax structure.

Regarding health care, the 1997 Legislature, to its credit, implemented sweeping reforms that put in place important safeguards for HMO patients. Some of these changes included outlawing physician payment incentives for denying medical care and mandating emergency room care if the patient and physician believe it is warranted.

But those reforms were just a start. Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, the author of the 1997 reforms, is going to push for an HMO ombudsman, so if patients are getting the run-around from their health plan, they can turn to a state official for assistance in making sure they are provided the treatment they deserve. The ombudsman proposal will be in jeopardy, however, if legislators rest on their laurels, hoping that Nevadans will think what they did in 1997 will suffice.

Turning to taxes, the state's existing tax base is too prone to fluctuations in the economy. Gaming taxes are about 34 percent of the state's revenue stream, while sales taxes make up almost 39 percent. Tax experts often liken Nevada's tax structure to a three-legged stool with the lack of a third leg to strengthen the structure.

The reality is that an overhaul of the state's tax structure will not occur in this brief legislative session. But the Legislature's tax committees should get a start by dusting off some previous state tax studies sitting on the shelves. In addition, they should hold hearings to see how the system can be improved. The foundation needs to be set now so that the 2001 Legislature will hit the ground running on this issue.

If the 1999 Legislature addresses HMO reform and the tax structure it shouldn't look to Washington for clues on how to get things done. Legislators will need to avoid partisanship and political grandstanding if there is any hope of seeing these two issues addressed meaningfully.