Lawmakers unconvinced on Yucca money

Erin Neff

Monday, April 1, 2002 | 10:43 a.m.

Looking for ways to fund the fight against the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump, Gov. Kenny Guinn believes it will be easier to get a 21-member legislative committee to agree to spend money than convene a special session of the entire 63-member Legislature.

But Guinn could be in for a difficult campaign. Several members of the Interim Finance Committee told the Sun they are not willing to commit ahead of time to approving additional money for a lobbying campaign against the proposed nuclear waste dump.

U.S. Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., asked Guinn to call a special session to appropriate $10 million to build national support against Yucca Mountain. Congress is expected to take up the issue later this year. The money would go to buy television advertising and start grass-roots campaigns against the dump in several states through which the nuclear waste would travel.

But state lawmakers are cautious about spending the money. A Sun poll last week found a slight majority for a special session in the Assembly and a negative response in the Senate. Lawmakers are concerned about finding the money as the state budget deficit is $100 million.

Of the 14 members of the Interim Finance Committee reached by the Sun, nine expressed concern, if not outright objection, to the proposal.

Of the seven committee members who were unavailable, three had previously said they were against spending the money, two were noncommittal, one was for and one was unavailable.

Even those who support spending some additional state money for the fight want to see local governments chip in before they do.

That could prove additionally troublesome, as a number of local leaders say their cities or county coffers just can't be tapped for the proposed television ad campaign.

"I'd like to see a commitment from the other entities and I'd like to see a plan for the spending," said Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, who serves on the finance committee. "I think $2 million is probably all we can get out of the IFC."

Initially Guinn floated the idea of a special session to appropriate $10 million for the fight. But when lawmakers bristled, he came up with an alternative -- take a few million from the state's contingency account, which the finance committee controls, and make up the difference with help from local governments.

Guinn said he would have to post an agenda today for the state Board of Examiners in order to get that three-person panel, which he chairs, to recommend an appropriation to the finance committee before its April 10 meeting.

"I have to move muy pronto," Guinn said.

But many finance committee members think the fast moves by the governor are devoid of the type of information they need to approve his request.

"You want to see where the money's going," Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, said. "Whether it's $10 million or $5 million or $5, if you don't have accountability, reasonable people will wonder how you spent their tax dollars."

The contingency fund, which has $8.8 million, is designed to last until the start of the next Legislature, in February. Before the start of the 2001 Legislature, the fund had $100,000 left after covering emergency costs of floods and the summer fire season.

Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning, D-North Las Vegas, is one of the few finance committee members who supports spending money out of the contingency fund for the Yucca fight.

"This certainly qualifies as a meritorious use," she said.

A number of lawmakers who previously said they would support a special session had serious doubts about taking the money.

"The budget is so short anyway, what's going to happen to the rest of the needs?" Assemblywoman Marcia de Braga, D-Fallon, said.

Sen. Bill O'Donnell, R-Las Vegas, has long advocated that Nevada should negotiate with the federal government for benefits in exchange for having the repository. He said Guinn's latest proposal "skirts the Legislature."

"It's unfortunate that he would even ask," O'Donnell said. "He should be a leader and go to the federal government and start to dialogue about what will protect us and how we should be compensated."

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said he will support any request the governor brings to the committee.

"Actions speak louder than words," Perkins said of his colleagues on the committee. "They're either going to stand up against Yucca Mountain, or they're not."

Perkins said going to the finance committee instead of holding a special session would save money and time and should be easier for other lawmakers to support.

Asked if those who vote against the expenditure are soft in their opposition to the dump, Perkins said: "Absolutely."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said he would defer to Guinn to find the money for the appropriation. However, he also said he might not support the expense given the numerous financial crises facing the state.

"We don't even know that this campaign is going to work," Raggio said.

Hettrick agreed, adding: "We really do need to sit down and analyze whether this is futile."

Guinn is trying to appease Raggio and the other Republicans on the finance committee by asking local governments to find more money, and thus, lessen the state's responsibility. All nine Republicans on the committee, and three of the 12 Democrats, oppose a special session.

Clark County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera has said he will seek $3 million from the county, but he has his work cut out for him. Already Commissioner Bruce Woodbury has stated his opposition, and a number of commissioners are concerned about whether the money could be legally contributed to a media campaign, and about what programs might be cut or delayed as a result.

County commissioners will take up the matter Tuesday. Herrera has expressed his confidence in getting the money.

Meanwhile none of the city governments appear to be searching their budgets for additional revenue. Both Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald said they would support additional funding for the state's fight, but neither said they believed the money was available without cutting a program or delaying a project.

"It becomes a policy decision for the whole council," Boggs McDonald said.

"It's the classic robbing Peter to pay Paul," Goodman added. "I don't know that we can do it."

Las Vegas Councilman Gary Reese said he would be in support of looking for additional money in the city's budget, but said the governor should be looking at alternative ways to convince top officials to oppose the storage of nuclear waste, such as lobbying.

While Reese said he supports the Yucca Mountain fight, he has reservations about spending additional city money that may take away from needed services, such as the police department.

"I don't think you need to sell the ship to fight one big battle. You still have to be able to keep the ship afloat," he said. "I would definitely look (for the funding) but I can't take money that's been designated for something else and put it over there.

So far the state has contributed $4 million, Clark County has spent $1 million and the private sector and other local governments have chipped in with about $1 million for the Nevada Protection Fund.

Las Vegas is pledging $100,000 in the 2003 fiscal year, which begins July 1. North Las Vegas said it has not been asked to contribute, and will probably be unable to find money in its budget.

"They really need to make a commitment if we're going to be able to get any more money," Guinn said.

In addition to taking money from the contingency account, Guinn said he was also looking to see if there were any money available in receipts from the tobacco settlement, which currently funds the state's Millennium Scholarship and Senior Rx programs.

Guinn said he doubted any tobacco receipts will be available.