Bills to spend $160 million introduced

More than 30 separate pieces of legislation that seek to spend nearly $160 million over the next biennium were introduced in the Senate and Assembly on Monday.

Largest is SB95, Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to add $71 million to the state's Rainy Day Fund, bringing it to a total of $200 million.

The Rainy Day Fund helped bail state government out two years ago when economic recession combined with the effect on tourism from 9/11 causing Nevada's tourism based economy to flounder. Lawmakers used $135 million that year to make sure government services remained intact.

Guinn has said repeatedly a chunk of the surplus money in the treasury this year should be added in case something else sends the state economy into a downward spiral.

All but $21 million of the $160 million introduce Monday is included in the governor's recommended $5.7 billion general fund budget. The separate bills are designed to fund the programs and funding decisions he has proposed.

Including SB95, there are 13 pieces of legislation in the batch worth more than $1 million each - including $12 million to restore the Contingency Fund used by the state to handle smaller emergencies that arise during the two-year budget cycle, and a total of $7 million to restore balances in the Stale Claims, Emergency and Reserve for Statutory Contingency accounts.

AB93 calls for $9.6 million to pay the expense of providing health care to retired school district employees. Lawmakers voted two years ago to start requiring school districts and local governments to help subsidize retiree health benefits like the state does for its retirees. But they did so after 2004-5 school budgets were set, leaving school districts scrambling to cover the cost.

A number of the bills are designed to cover similar unanticipated expenses including SB91, which appropriates $3.5 million to the prison system for expenses in taking over operation of the Southern Nevada Women's Correctional Facility. The private contractors dropped the contract saying they couldn't make money at the rates the state was willing to pay.

There is $862,077 in AB106 to prepare and furnish the new offices of Conservation and Natural Resources, now nearing completion on South Stewart Street.

SB106 contains $8 million to help White Pine County build a new court facility. Nevada's District judges made this their priority request because the old courthouse is in such bad shape.

The $10 million in SB105 would support the University of Nevada Medical School's partnership with the Nevada Cancer Institute to expand research, treatment, education and teaching opportunities in the state.

And there is $20,000 in AB97 to pay an artist who will paint Guinn's official portrait. The portrait will hang in Nevada's Capitol after Guinn completes his second term two years from now.

n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or at 687-8750.