Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 | 3:11 p.m.
CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval said he would include money in his upcoming budget for subsidies for parents who send their children to private schools.
Sandoval said today he and state Sen. Scott Hammond, R-Las Vegas, were working on a bill to revive a program declared unconstitutional by the Nevada Supreme Court. The proposed bill will include an income limit on those who are eligible, but details haven’t been worked out.
The legislation in 2015 was pushed through by the Republican majority in both houses of the Legislature. Democrats who opposed the plan are now in charge of the Assembly and Senate.
Sandoval said he had not talked to the Democratic leadership yet — Assemblyman Jason Frierson, D-Las Vegas, selected as speaker of the House, or Sen. Aaron Ford, D-Las Vegas, as majority leader in the Senate.
The governor did not say how much would be included for subsidies for the Educational Savings Account program. An estimated 8,000 people applied for the subsidy of more than $5,000 per child.
The Nevada Supreme Court found the plan was legal, except for the money was taken from funds for public schools. Sandoval said a separate fund would be set up for the new plan.
The governor said the main priorities in his budget will be education, Medicaid, prisons, and health and human services.
He said additional money poured into the public schools in 2015 is showing results.
Sandoval declined to say whether he would include in the budget money for pay raises for state workers.
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