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Gibbons not planning on special session
Governor says he’s relying on adjustments to the budget
Cathleen Allison / Nevada Appeal / File photo
Gov. Jim Gibbons answers questions during a news conference earlier this year in Carson City. Gibbons said Tuesday he isn’t considering a special session of the Legislature to solve the state’s budget woes.
Published Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009 | 3:51 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009 | 5:50 p.m.
Sun Coverage
CARSON CITY – Despite the continuing bad economic news, Gov. Jim Gibbons says he’s not planning on calling a special session of the Legislature — at least at this time.
He says his administration is continuing to look at ways to adjust the state budget so it doesn’t fall into the hole.
“When we get to a point where we can no longer make those adjustments to the state’s budget, based on executive orders, we will have to, by necessity, consider a special session,” he said.
He said he is going to bring in legislators in the interim to “offer their input.” He said he has already talked to legislators. Pressed, he said he conferred with Republicans Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio and Sen. Randolph Townsend, both of Reno.
Asked if he has talked with any Democrats that control both houses, Gibbons said he hasn’t after reading reports in the Las Vegas Sun. “All the reports show they have made their decision.”
Asked what those Democratic decisions are, Gibbons replied, “I’m only believing what I read in your reports…”
Barbara Buckley
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford
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Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said she has never been contacted by the governor about a special session and hasn’t made any comments to the Sun about it.
She said it’s too early to make a decision whether to convene a special session. She said a conclusion could be made in October or November when more tax revenue information is available.
While Nevada leads the nation in economic problems, she said, it’s too soon to make a judgment whether this will turn around.
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, said he would be willing to meet with the governor at any time to discuss the state’s business. But he hasn’t talked with Gibbons since near the end of the 2009 Legislature in early June.
He said it was “premature” to discuss a special session. He said there have been periodic updates from the fiscal staff of the Legislature on the condition of the state.
Gaming and sales taxes are the two biggest revenue producers for the state, and both are down.
The state Gaming Control Board says the state collected $655 million in taxes from casinos in the last fiscal year, down from the $663 million predicted by the Economic Forum on which the state budget is based. Collections from the sales tax are down by $8.1 million below their forecast for the first 11 months of last fiscal year.
Only the governor can call a special session of the Legislature. And the regular session of the Legislature doesn’t convene until February 2011.
Gibbons said his administration was “very conservative” in its approach to the budget last February. But the Legislature increased taxes $1.1 billion over his veto, he said. “Still we are seeing a lack of revenue to meet the spending requests of the last Legislature.”
The governor made his statement to reporters after a meeting of the state Board of Examiners, which agreed to delay for two more months the requirement for employees in the state prison system to take one day off a month to save money.
The Department of Corrections says it needs to keep these prison employees working to ensure public safety and it needs more time to plan for the furloughs. This delay in the prison furlough plan will cost the state $630,172 since these employees won’t lose more than 4 percent in salary every month, as other department workers do.
Gibbons said the prisons need more time to plan how this furlough procedure will be accomplished. Gibbons is chairman of the three-member examiners board.
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Could we please get an update story on Nevada's First Lady Dawn Gibbons - PLEASE? She's the only one in THAT household I still have any respect for!
hey jimmy boy...
why don't you follow the example of sarah dumb as a bag of rocks palin???
hmmm???
don't you get the sense that everyone has lost all respect for you???
hmmm???
"don't you get the sense that everyone has lost all respect for you???"
Bird
You should know just how the Gov. feels ... then!
I like Gibbon's position on this one.
When will Gibbons just resign? Other than a few wingnuts, no one else wants him as Governor anymore. He won't even talk with Democratic leaders, and he won't consider anything other than his preferred approach of "cut 'n gut". That's not a leader, that's a spoiled brat.
Goober...Goober....Goober, you don't EVEN have a clue do you? http://www.tahoebonanza.com/article/2009...
Just get out of the state mansion, and drive around in the state limo or take a flight on the state jets and view what you, Babs, and Horsford have wrought. It doesn't look so bad when you get away from all the unemployed riff-raff, all the bankrupt casinos, and the foreclosed houses, now does it?
http://texexforgovernor.blogspot.com/
Either the legislature knew this budget was out of balance when they passed it or they are totally incompetent. Everyone could see the value of taxed items falling in price and the numbers or visitors declining.
The governor needs to do all he can to cut where he is allowed and try to save this state from the insanity coming from Washington DC
There are state employees who in one pay period are taking a furlough day off without pay and in the next pay period are making up for it by working overtime. This is also being done because some essential services cannot be staffed when employees are out on furlough, requiring the agencies to replace an employee on furlough who would be getting straight time with one who is working overtime. How does this help balance the budget Governor Gibbons?
Hey "Watchman" call THAT stupid scenario GIBBONS MATH!
hey watchman, I don't know which group of state employees you are refering to but if its the construction group, all the projects they are on are fed jobs, they bill their time to the job. so, their pay comes out of fed funds, not the state fund, so quit crying, the season is almost over and believe me, any ot is very carefully watched.most people that I'm aware of aren't allowed any ot period. construction crews get ot, they have to be there to watch your taxes at work, if not then you'd complain no one is watching the contractor,or testing what they're doing and the roads are falling apart. Which way do you want it?