Private meeting replaces joint session on budget

Thursday, May 22, 2003 | 9:23 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A meeting scheduled between Senate and Assembly committees on the estimated $4.8 billion state budget for the coming two years was canceled late Wednesday.

The Senate Finance Committee has drafted a budget that would require $830 million in new taxes. The Assembly Ways and Means Committee would require $1.06 billion to balance its proposed spending program.

The committees were to meet Wednesday to address the disparities. Instead, leaders from both houses huddled in a private meeting with the legislative fiscal staff, apparently trying to work out the differences.

The next joint session is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday.

Some major differences involve funding for the state's public schools, inflation costs involving food in prisons, and whether to keep Nevada's lobbying office in Washington.

One of the biggest hang-ups has to do with a pay raise for teachers. The Assembly committee wants to give teachers a 4 percent raise this year and next year. Gov. Kenny Guinn has recommended a 2 percent increase this year, and the Senate committee agrees with that.

The Assembly plan adds more than $140 million to the governor's suggested budget over the two years.

The Assembly panel also wants to put enough money in the budget to cover a 15 percent increase each year in insurance costs for teachers. The Senate agreed with the governor in including enough money for a 10 percent rise in premiums each of the next two years.

The Assembly has voted to eliminate a plan that would provide bonuses for teachers. Instead it wants to put part of that money into enhanced retirement packages for teachers who are at at-risk schools. Part would also go into salary increases under the plan.

Differences also exist in plans for public school funding.

The Senate agreed with Guinn to include $750,000 to cover inflation in food costs for the state prison system. The Assembly cut that out.

The Assembly also voted to eliminate Nevada's office in Washington to save $259,300 a year. The office was created in 1985 to help agencies keep track of issues that affect the state, help find additional federal funding and work with the congressional delegation on a variety of issues.

The office gets its money from the state Department of Transportation, the Commission of Economic Development and the Commission on Tourism.

There have been efforts by the Assembly committee in the past to abolish this office but they have always failed.