Special session: Marathon meeting leads to tentative deal

The 26th special session of the Nevada Legislature could wrap up its work starting 11 a.m. today after lawmakers and Gov. Jim Gibbons reached a tentative deal last Saturday night to close an $888 million budget gap.

Gibbons and lawmakers emerged after a three and a half hour meeting refusing to give details on the plan until today's floor sessions.

The deal reportedly sets the cuts to both K-12 and higher education at 6.9 percent along with higher fees in a variety of agencies.

It includes not only the anticipated $62 million increase in revenue from mining taxes, but an additional $25 million from raising annual mining claim fees.

And it imposes operational cuts to state agencies totaling $314 million.

In addition, there will be fee increases in a variety of agencies including the Secretary of State's office, museums, parks and other areas of state government.

Furloughs will remain at the same eight hour a month level as they have been this past year instead of going to 10 hours as proposed by the governor.

Some $197 million in sweeps from a variety of state reserves and other accounts is in the plan as well.

In addition, the Nevada State Prison is expected to remain open in Carson City.

Lawmakers were advised to keep details to themselves until the plan is rolled out this morning.

Leadership went from the closed door negotiating session to caucus meetings where they spelled out the details to the full legislative membership in both parties. Gibbons told Senate and Assembly Republicans he could accept the deal as proposed.

But leadership said if any shenanigans are pulled to change things at the last minute, everything could come to a halt.

After the caucus meetings on Saturday, Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, said she is "optimistic" it will end the special session today.

As of noon Saturday, the two sides were just about $30 million apart. The sticking points apparently involved the percentage cuts to education and the added fees needed to cover the gap.

The biggest issue was how much of a cut K-12 and higher education must take. Gibbons proposed 10 percent. Legislative Democrats called for 5 percent - which would cost $121.2 million. Assembly Republicans proposed 7.5 percent - cutting the cost in half to $60.5 million. In the compromise deal, that percentage is apparently at 6.9 percent.