An initiative mess

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | 2:08 a.m.

Last year the Nevada State Education Association announced a proposed initiative for this fall’s ballot that would raise the gaming tax by 3 percentage points to pay for education. On Monday, less than 24 hours before the deadline to file initiative petitions, the teachers union reached an agreement with three major gaming companies to drop the petition.

As David McGrath Schwartz reported in Tuesday’s Las Vegas Sun, the companies — Wynn Resorts, Harrah’s Entertainment and Station Casinos — agreed to support raising the hotel room tax by 3 percentage points to boost education funding. The plan is far from becoming law, as not all the gaming companies are onboard. Still, the proposal is expected to go to voters this fall as an advisory question and, if approved, it would go to the state Legislature next year.

However, this last-minute agreement is an example of a major problem in Nevada politics. For years the Legislature has abdicated its responsibility to make decisions on controversial issues. The result is that special interests organize initiative campaigns and spend millions of dollars trying to sell the public on them.

The issue of funding education is critical and complex, and boiling it down to a yes-or-no question on a ballot is a terrible way to decide it. The complexity of tax policy is best suited for the Legislature, where the issue can be debated and thoroughly considered.

Unfortunately, lawmakers have failed to take appropriate action to adequately fund necessary services such as education, public health and transportation. Gov. Jim Gibbons has exacerbated the problem with his rash no-new-taxes pledge, which will set the state back further. He has criticized the proposal by the teachers union and the casino companies, but he has failed to put forth a plan that would provide for the state’s schools.

As long as the governor and the Legislature fail to lead and make the decisions voters expect them to make, the state’s important issues will be decided by voter initiatives and backroom deals. That is no way to run a state.