Guinn will hold bills until tax plan approved

Friday, May 30, 2003 | 11:10 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn said today he would not sign any more bills passed by the Legislature until it approves a budget and a tax plan.

He's had some bills on his desk awaiting signatures since Wednesday. "I'm holding off on all of them," he said.

The session is to end Monday. Guinn said he can hold the bills reaching his desk until then to decide whether to sign or veto them.

Asked if he has told the lawmakers about his plan, Guinn said, "I expect them to know the rules." He added that lawmakers too often try to play by their own set of rules.

"If they kill something, that is OK. If I do it they say it's a threat," he said.

The governor said he may "pick and choose" some of the bills to sign that are in his legislative package but the rest will pile up.

Usually the governor has only five days after receiving a bill to sign or veto it. Otherwise, the bill automatically becomes law after five days on the governor's desk.

But if the governor receives a bill within five days of the end of the legisative session, another provision takes effect. He has up to 10 days after the session to sign the bills.

That provision applies to bills reaching Guinn's desk this week because the session ends at midnight Monday, and Guinn says he may take the full time allowed before deciding whether to reject any of the measures.

"If they don't pass a budget, why pass the laws?" he asked.

There's a question whether the Senate and Assembly can agree on a budget and a tax plan to meet the Monday deadline. There are still significant differences over raises for teachers and state employees, and the tax plans in both houses are different.

Guinn said progress today is crucial to reaching a compromise in time for legislative staff to write the budget and tax bills.

He said he has talked with the legislature's leaders and he thinks they are close to agreement.

The governor said if there is a consensus, he would agree to call a special session to get the matter resolved. "I would be willing to give them another 24 hours," he said.

There are an estimated 160 bills pending, most of them containing funding. There are scores of conference committees meeting as smaller groups of Senate and Assembly members try to resolve their differences on the bills.

Despite holding some bills, Guinn signed 29 into law Thursday, including bills to give voters more time to register and to allow a central location for voting for the elderly and disabled.

The governor also approved Assembly Bill 396 requiring the Clark County School District to continue a pilot program to use part of its bond money to reconstruct at least 10 existing older schools.

Among other bills signed:

AB541 also says that if the Legislature rejects an initiative petition and instead drafts an alternative, the one from the Legislature must appear on the ballot first. Southern Nevada doctors gathered enough signatures on an initiative petition on medical malpractice to present to the Legislature. The lawmakers rejected it. The Assembly has developed an alternate medical malpractice plan to present to the voters. If that passes the Legislature, it will appear first on the November 2004 ballot to be followed by the doctors' initiative.