Education, Internet likely subjects for lawmakers

Erin Neff

Monday, Jan. 15, 2001 | 10:54 a.m.

If a luncheon speech Friday by two of Las Vegas' state assemblymen is any indication, the 2001 Legislature will struggle over education and an Internet tax.

Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, and David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, appeared together at an International Association of Business Communicators luncheon at the Las Vegas Country Club.

But their comments on a proposed teachers' tax initiative and ways to regulate the Internet were as different as the legislators' political parties.

Goldwater argued the state's below-average per pupil expenditure and low teacher salaries need to be bolstered to improve education.

"This is different than other problems," said Goldwater, chairman of the Assembly Taxation Committee. "When you're talking about getting a good human being in front of students, you have to do what's needed."

But Beers, a member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, disagreed with Goldwater that a teacher's union tax initiative is the way to solve the problem.

"Most individual teachers are not aware of the extent that their union goes to advance their needs over those of the children," Beers said.

Since teachers are a part of the state's Public Employee Retirement System, Beers said, they have far greater benefits than their $26,000 starting salary would suggest.

The Nevada State Education Association wants the Legislature to enact a 4 percent tax on business profits. If the business tax is rejected during the session, it will go on the ballot in 2002.

A group of businesses has asked the Nevada Supreme Court to declare the teachers' petition invalid. A hearing is set for two days after the session opens Feb. 5.

The two assemblymen also differ widely on whether an Internet tax should be applied to recoup sales taxes avoided by purchasing items from non-Nevada companies on the World Wide Web.