Session preview: the budget, legislation, committee assignments
Tomorrow marks the start of the 75th session of the Nevada Legislature. As we enter what may well be the toughest session in our state’s history, below is a preview of what we’re facing, along with some ways in which you can stay involved in the process.
The biggest issue facing the Nevada Legislature when we convene on February 2nd will be the state budget situation. Accounting for inflation, population growth and other factors that drive spending, the State of Nevada needs $8.1 billion to provide services at current levels over the next two years. According to the latest forecasts of the Economic Forum the state is only projected to collect $5.8 billion in revenue. Three critical areas, Health and Human Services, Education, and Public Safety comprise 93% of our state budget. The challenge we face this next session is how we address a $2.3 billion shortfall, nearly 34% of the state budget, without devastating impacts in medical care for the needy (Medicaid), in K-12/ higher education, and public safety programs such as housing prisoners.
In contrast to the Governor’s budget of deep cuts to vital services that seems to have been put together with little public involvement or understanding of its impacts, starting tomorrow, the Legislature will embark upon a methodical process of rebuilding the budget with an emphasis on public input and transparency.
A weekly schedule (pdf) has been put together of budget topics to be reviewed by legislative committees. With this calendar in mind, be sure to visit the Legislature’s web page of scheduled committee hearings as the specific daily agendas are set. For more information on Nevada’s budget crisis and to provide input for ways to solve the problem, be sure to visit Speaker Barbara Buckley’s Nevada 2020 project web site.
This weekend there were a number of articles in the Nevada media providing previews of the session to come. Most notable was a legislative round table video taped by the Las Vegas Sun.
While we grapple with the state budget, the usual workload of bills promises to be heavy. In 2007, over 1,200 bills were considered. Already in 2009, more than 200 bills have been pre-filed. I’ll be advancing legislation to combat illegal dumping, provide transparency for health insurance plans, strengthen protections of our water resources, provide support for substance abuse treatment, further develop our renewable energy economic opportunity and address other issues.
For the 2009 session, I’ll be returning to some of the committees on which I served during the 2007 session. In addition to serving on Assembly Education and Assembly Natural Resources, Agriculture and Mining, I will work as the Vice Chairman of Assembly Government Affairs.
Be sure to sign up for my legislative update email list (form is at top right) to stay up on what’s happening in Carson City.