Tax plan still being hashed out

By David McGrath Schwartz (contact)

Saturday, May 16, 2009 | 10:41 a.m.

The Legislature is meeting Saturday to continue to hash out differences on a tax plan and reforms to public employee pay and benefits.

The core group of Legislators met this morning. Sen. Warren Hardy, R-Las Vegas, emerged none too happy, concerned that while he was negotiating with Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, to reform public employee pensions, bills that could lead to better public employee benefits continued to advance.

“We’re trying to bring the fiscal horse back in the barn, and they’re trying to kick the doors open and stampede out the back door,” Hardy said.

He was referring to Assembly Bill 395, which would give state workers collective bargaining in all things but economic matters, though he also mentioned an Assembly bill that was amended Friday to allow Las Vegas police to bargain directly with the Clark County Sheriff.

“Someone’s not taking the reforms seriously,” Hardy said. “There are no votes in our caucus for taxes without serious reforms.” Later today, tax committees are scheduled to hear the other components of the tax package. Those components, right now, include an increase to sales tax, an increase to the annual business filing fee and changes to the tax paid on vehicle registration.

On Thursday, a joint tax committee heard a proposal to increase the modified business tax — the tax on payrolls — on wages over $250,000.

The rates of the increases, as well as possible changes to deductions that mining companies can make, are still being negotiated.