Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Sun Editorial:

Governing for the good of Nevada

After Gov. Brian Sandoval’s State of the State speech Thursday, some people said he sounded like a moderate Republican, others said he sounded like a conservative Democrat.

We thought he sounded like a classic Nevada governor, the type we have known in years gone by, the type that set aside the partisan rhetoric once an election was over and governed for the good of all Nevadans.

Sandoval on Thursday outlined what’s being called an ambitious agenda to bolster education and prepare the state to compete in an increasingly technical world. The price tag looks big — roughly $1 billion in new and extended taxes, with most of it going toward education.

But what makes it ambitious isn’t the size of the taxes or the proposals to improve the schools. The ambition — sadly — comes in trying to persuade the Legislature to sign off on this.

Past governors (Kenny Guinn most recently) tried to fix the state’s antiquated tax structure to iron out inequities and generate adequate revenue. But those plans routinely failed.

Although many politicians have bemoaned the state’s ranking in education, along with Nevada’s many other woes, few have demonstrated the political guts to try to fix them. Traditionally, the Legislature has passed incremental measures that look good but do little.

In her response to Sandoval’s State of the State speech, Democratic Assembly Leader Marilyn Kirkpatrick summed it up well by saying, “We must make the hard choices, so that we don’t continue to hide the problems with a budget too small to fix anything but large enough to look like something is getting done in a TV ad.”

Already, some Assembly conservatives are grumbling about the tax proposal, and that will make passing it difficult given that Republicans control the chamber. Any tax plan needs a supermajority of lawmakers to pass.

Although there are certainly legitimate debates to be had over various proposals in the governor’s plan — what types of taxes will pass muster, how much the taxes should raise, what the money should go for — lawmakers should be unified in their support of measures to improve schools, boost the economy and prepare Nevada to compete in the years ahead.

Lawmakers should avoid the common pitfalls that have stalled progress in the past. In education, for example, the debate shouldn’t boil down to more money or education reforms. Nevada’s schools, which are funded below the national per-pupil average, need more money, and there is certainly plenty of room to try reforms as well.

Lawmakers should spend some time thinking beyond the next election cycle and consider the implications of what they do or don’t do this year. If they make the right choices to invest in Nevada, they will still be catching up to many other states that have already made similar decisions. If Nevada lawmakers fail to invest, the state will only be that much further behind.

Standing in the Legislature, Sandoval noted the differences in politics and beliefs among those serving in office, and said despite those differences, “We are united in our desire to move Nevada forward with a transformed education system, a healthy citizenry, safe and livable communities, a vibrant economy, and an efficient and responsive state government.”

We would expect every lawmaker to be on board with such a vision, and we hope they are all willing to make decisions that push Nevada in that direction.

As we have noted, the particulars will be debated and undoubtedly changed, but lawmakers should follow Sandoval’s lead and forget about what’s politically viable and start making decisions about what’s best for the state.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy