LOOKING IN ON: CARSON CITY

Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006 | 7:55 a.m.

CARSON CITY - The growing popularity of mixed martial arts in Las Vegas is expected to bring more taxes into the state.

"These tickets are going for $500 a seat, which is out of my league," said Russell Guindon, a budget expert for the legislative fiscal analyst office.

Frank Streshley, senior research analyst for the state Gaming Control Board, said ticket prices for mixed martial arts events such as those produced by Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championship, have risen to levels similar to those for championship boxing matches.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission had estimated it would collect $2 million in fees from mixed martial arts matches annually in the next two fiscal years. But a state advisory committee raised the projected revenue - generated by a 10 percent entertainment tax on ticket prices - to $2.5 million per year because of the increasing fan interest in mixed martial arts, in which the combatants slug and kick it out in a cage or ring.

The issue arose at a meeting last week of the advisory committee dealing with minor tax revenues anticipated over the next two years. Those revenues - which include fees for horse racing, marriage licenses and real estate licenses - account for 10 percent to 15 percent of the total.

The state's Economic Forum is to meet Wednesday to make its preliminary estimate on how much money will be available from the state's major revenue producers, including gaming and sales taxes, over the next two years.

The governor and the Legislature will be bound by the Economic Forum's predictions, unless taxes are raised.

Although unhappy about temporarily being unable to seek release on parole because of a dispute over how Parole Board meetings are conducted, prison inmates have not been causing any trouble for guards.

But relatives and friends are bombarding the Parole Board over hearings that were canceled after the board was ordered by the Nevada Supreme Court to hold open meetings.

Fritz Schlottman, deputy director of operations for the Corrections Department, said there have not been any demonstrations or uprisings since the Parole Board announced Oct. 20 that it was canceling all hearings because of the court order to comply with the state's open meeting law.

Gov. Kenny Guinn said the board is working on ways to resume the hearings but added there is no money in emergency funds to allow the board to operate in accordance with the ruling.

Parole Board Chairwoman Darlas Salling said the cost of following the open meeting law "would be staggering." The board has asked for an emergency stay from the Supreme Court.

Salling and Guinn said the next Legislature may have to clarify the law by exempting the Parole Board from certain sections of the open meeting law.

Parole hearings - which number about 600 per month, resulting in release dates for more than 250 inmates - have been open, but only the inmate and the victim have been allowed to testify. But some hearings are closed to protect the victims' identities, and the board's decisions are made in private.

David Smith, the board's executive secretary, said it does not "have the staff or the money" to comply with the law's provisions concerning meeting notification requirements and the need to keep minutes of all hearings.

The board asked the 2005 Legislature to allow it to continue its pre-ruling practices. The bill unanimously passed the Senate but died in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.