Bill includes $20 million for LV monorail project

Suzanne Struglinski

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003 | 9:12 a.m.

WASHINGTON --- The Las Vegas monorail project will get $20 million out of the massive $373 billion spending bill approved by the House Monday. All three of Nevada's House members voted in favor of the bill.

The Senate still needs to approve the omnibus bill, which rolls the seven remaining spending bills for the 2004 budget into one piece of legislation. The bill includes money for education, transportation, veterans affairs and numerous other projects. The Senate is expected to take up the bill today but it was unclear if a voice vote will take place.

In addition to the monorail project money, the bill includes $4 million to replace air traffic control facilities at McCarran International Airport and $1 million for the North Las Vegas Intermodal Transit Hub, according to breakdowns provided by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev. Both sit on the House Transportation Committee.

The Arizona side of the Hoover Dam Bypass could get $7 million while the Boulder City Extension portion of the Hoover Dam Bypass would get $6 million, according to Porter's office.

For education spending, Porter helped get $1.5 million for the Clark County School District, $500,000 for Nevada State College at Henderson and $300,000 to UNLV to create a center dedicated to women's health research.

"This money will help bridge the funding gap Nevada faces as we continue to grow at exponential rates," Porter said.

The bill also includes funding for several projects supported by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., including $6 million for an Intermodal Bus Terminal in downtown Reno or Sparks and $1 million for the effort to build a magnetic levitation high-speed train between California and Nevada. He also requested $225,000 to fix Deer Park Pool in Sparks, according to his office.

The bill also includes: