Lawmakers form panel to study state spending

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, April 29, 2010 | 3:15 p.m.

The Legislative Interim Finance Committee voted to create a committee to study spending by state agencies.

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, said this six-member committee will conduct a "fundamental review of the base budgets" allowing the 2011 Legislature to better deal with the state's financial shortfall.

Sen. Joyce Woodhouse, D-Las Vegas was named chairwoman of the committee that she said "will find new ways to manage our limited resources."

The administration of Gov. Jim Gibbons estimates the state will be $3 billion short in the 2011-2013 fiscal years.

Gibbons objects to lawmakers' plans to study state spending, saying it duplicates efforts by his budget director.

Lynn Hettrick, Gibbons' deputy chief of staff, told the committee today that having two groups request information will place a burden on the state agencies that are already short of staff and facing furloughs.

Assemblywoman Heidi Gansert, R-Reno, backed the new committee, saying there is never enough time during the Legislature's regular sessions "to drill down" on the budget.

"It is appropriate for us to investigate," she said.

The lawmakers' panel will study the Housing Division, Department of Education, fraud prevention efforts by the Medicaid program, the Parole and Probation Division and the building leases of state agencies.

Besides Woodhouse, the finance committee named Sens. Valerie Wiener, D-Las Vegas and Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno; Assembly members Marcus Conklin, D-Las Vegas, Debbie Smith, D-Reno and Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka.