Governor discusses tax plan

Gov. Jim Gibbons could support a deal that would result in higher room taxes rather than increased casino taxes - but only if Nevadans backed the idea in an advisory ballot question, a spokesman said Friday.

Gibbons press secretary Ben Kieckhefer said that without the voter support, the governor would stick with his policy of opposing any new or increased taxes. That would include room taxes, paid mainly by tourists visiting Nevada.

The comment on the possible deal that could head off efforts by a teachers' union to increase gambling taxes followed Gibbons' meeting Thursday with casino mogul Steve Wynn to discuss negotiations the teachers are having with some casino industry representatives.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, also was at the meeting with Wynn to discuss the room tax plan that could generate tens of millions of dollars for education, but not as much as the minimum $250 million a year that the proposed casino levy would raise.

Lynn Warne, president of the Nevada State Education Association, has confirmed that the union is discussing the idea of a room tax increase for education. The increase would have to be approved by state lawmakers and by the governor.

Warne said the discussions are in "the very early stages" and no agreements have been reached.

While the discussions are continuing, the casino industry is appealing a judge's ruling that allowed the teachers' union to proceed with its initiative petition to raise the state's gambling tax on casinos grossing more than $1 million a month from 6.75 percent to 9.75 percent.

The Nevada Resort Association and Las Vegas Sands Corp. have asked the Nevada Supreme Court for a speedy handling of its appeal from Senior Judge Miriam Shearing's April 3 ruling that the petition was legal.

Resort association attorney Todd Bice has urged the court to rule before May 20, the deadline for the NSEA to submit signatures to the secretary of state's office.

To qualify the measure for the November ballot, the teachers' union must gather the signatures of 58,628 registered voters. Voters would have to pass the initiative this year and again in 2010 for it to become part of the Nevada Constitution.