Lawmakers set to introduce tax plan and bills

Lawmakers are anticipating today the rollout of a compromise tax plan along with introductions of all the remaining bills requested by individual lawmakers.

A meeting of the Senate Taxation and Assembly Growth and Infrastructure committees lasted only a few minutes Thursday with Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, saying staff was still working out the numbers on a proposed hybrid tax plan.

He and Senate Taxation Chairman Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, refused to reveal details of the plan.

Legislative leaders planned to hold caucuses Thursday night to ensure they have the necessary support from their members before introducing the joint plan to stave off huge property-tax increases around the state.

Both McGinness and Perkins said they expect a committee meeting to unveil the plan this morning.

The last version of the plan combined a ceiling on how much property taxes could rise based on the average increase in each county over the past 10 years and a flat 4 percent cap on increases for owner-occupied, single family homes valued at less than $500,000.

That two-tiered system is expected to go away since numerous lawmakers objected to the disparity it would create in some areas with one home capped at 4 percent and the home next door facing up to 20 percent higher taxes this next year just because it was worth a couple of thousand dollars more.

In addition to the tax plan, lawmakers at both ends of the building must introduce their individual bills. Monday's deadline for individual introductions was pushed back until today because legal staff hadn't finished drafting the more than 400 requests.

Legislative Counsel Brenda Erdoes advised leaders late Thursday that all of those bills have been delivered to lawmakers over the course of this week.

About 100 pieces of legislation could be introduced today. but both Perkins and Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, have advised legislators to take a close look to see if any of their proposals are no longer needed.

The influx of bills and hoped-for resolution of the property-tax plan are expected to kick the 2005 Legislature into high gear. The next deadline for introduction of committee bills is March 29.

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