Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Teachers’ business-tax initiative passes test on signatures

It is now up to the Nevada Supreme Court to decide if the petition to levy a business tax for education can proceed to the 2013 Legislature.

The Secretary of State's Office said Friday the initiative petition had all the required 18,088 valid signatures of registered voters in each of the four congressional districts.

Scott Gillis, deputy secretary for election, said the counties completed their sampling of the verified signatures on the petition. There were 27,754 valid signatures in Congressional District 1 that includes Clark County and 26,663 in District 3 that also includes Clark County.

There were 29,291 in District 4 that includes Nye County and parts of Clark and Lyon counties. In District 2 there were 23,500 valid signatures in the rest of Nevada.

The Nevada State Education Association, the union of schoolteachers, gathered 152,703 signatures on the petition to impose a 2 percent margins tax on businesses with an income of more than $1 million.

The Supreme Court heard arguments this week whether the petition was legally defective and is expected to have a ruling soon.

The tax could raise $800,000 a year to go to the public schools.

If the Legislature doesn't approve the tax plan in 40 days, it will be placed on the 2014 election ballot.

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