Gibbons: No tax hikes on special session agenda

Gov. Jim Gibbons charged lawmakers Tuesday with working too slowly and not getting the job done.

He also said that, if he must call a special session to finish the budget, added revenues won't be on the agenda.

Gibbons made the remarks following a Board of Examiners meeting Tuesday. He said he expects lawmakers to try to raise taxes, which he has promised to veto.

"My belief is the only way they're going to meet their spending expectations is to raise taxes," he said.

Gibbons said if that is the plan, they should present their proposals so the public can see and review them.

"It's unfair to the public to wait until the very last second," he said.

He also criticized lawmakers for the pace of the session.

"We now have, what, 48 days to the end of session and just four bills have reached my desk," he said.

Ways and Means Chairman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas, said it's not surprising Gibbons would not give them a revenue option to resolve the budget.

"He gave us a budget that set us back to the 1800s," Arberry said. "It would have been helpful if he met us half way. Now we've got to figure out how we're going to take care of people."

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, expressed surprise at the charge lawmakers aren't moving fast enough.

"I's amazing he criticizes us when we're trying to fix his budget," he said.

He said the threat to bar a revenue option from a special session isn't an issue.

"We'll get the people's business done by June 1," making a special session unnecessary, Horsford said.

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