Lawmakers weigh their own rebate plans for Nevadans

Kirsten Searer

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 | 11:08 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Legislators who have shied away from Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposal to rebate vehicle registrations to taxpayers might come out with their own plans this week.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said she plans to propose a $150 rebate to each Nevada resident who has a driver's license or identification card from the DMV.

"I think it gives more money to a lot more people," Titus said.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins has talked about rebating money through property taxes but said Monday he might also utilize the DMV's database to get money back to taxpayers.

"There will be a rebate, plain and simple," Perkins, D-Henderson, said. "There will be a rebate that's sizeable."

Guinn announced his plan earlier this year to rebate $300 million to taxpayers through their vehicle registrations, and he threatened to veto any budget that doesn't have a sizeable rebate.

His plan would rebate up to $300 per vehicle, though most vehicles would be less depending on their age and value.

Sensing discord over the plan, legislators have directed their staffs to look at other ways to give money back to taxpayers.

But it's not easy to refund money in Nevada, where residents do not pay state income taxes.

Not all residents would directly benefit from a cut in property tax because many residents are renters. And the state cannot give a total break on sales tax without a vote of the people.

Legislators point out that people with older cars wouldn't get nearly as much in a rebate under Guinn's plan.

"It created an expectation that everybody's going to get a $300 check," Perkins said.

Residents might also have to file tax forms on the rebates, and the state could spend $1 million or more just to get the money back to taxpayers, legislators have complained.

Guinn chief of staff Mike Hillerby said that Guinn is open to talking about other ideas to rebate the state surplus but will reject any plan that doesn't give back about $300 million.

Guinn would also prefer a plan that refunds money to people based on the taxes they paid, Hillerby said.

"If you did spend a lot of money on a car and the sales taxes that went along with it, you should get that maximum $300," he said. "It needs to have some bearing on what you actually paid, not just some arbitrary number."