Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Sisolak among governors to ask Congress for $1T in aid to states

Governor Orders Shutdown of Casinos and Nonessential Businesses

Steve Marcus

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak speaks during a news conference at the Sawyer State Building in Las Vegas,Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Sisolak ordered a monthlong closure of casinos and other non-essential businesses in order to stem the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

Governors and legislative leaders from five western states that are coordinating their response to the coronavirus outbreak asked Congress on Monday to send $1 trillion to state and local governments across the U.S. in the next federal aid package.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak and officials from California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington said in a letter to leaders of both parties in the U.S. House and Senate that they will have to make deep budgets cuts without more federal aid. That could include cuts to services such as health programs and job training designed to help those hit hard by the virus.

“Without federal support, states and cities will be forced to make impossible decisions — like whether to fund critical public health care that will help us recover, or prevent layoffs of teachers, police officers, firefighters and other first responders," the letter stated.

The governors and officials said $1 trillion in direct, flexible payments to state and local governments will not make up for the big hits their budgets are expected to take, but “it will make a meaningful difference" in their ability to keep services running. The Assembly minority leader in California was the lone Republican to sign the letter.

It's not yet clear what another congressional aid package might look like or what type of proposal could gather bipartisan support.

Meanwhile, Sisolak on Monday declared a state of fiscal emergency for Nevada, allowing money to be transferred from the state’s rainy day fund to the general fund.

“While we appreciate the additional assistance from the federal government to help address the immediate funding needs for the public health crisis, the state is now in a position where (it) will be forced to make very difficult decisions,” Sisolak said.