Democrats take budget fight out of money committees, bring it to the floors of the Assembly and Senate

By Anjeanette Damon

Monday, April 11, 2011 | 12:15 p.m.

CARSON CITY - Democratic leaders think they’ve found a way to shake up intransigent Republicans in the Legislature who have refused to budge from their support of Gov. Brian Sandoval’s no-new-taxes budget.

This afternoon they plan to announce that they will put controversial budget cuts on education, public safety and mental health budgets up for votes by the entire Assembly and Senate. Typically the money committees close those budgets. Now they will be heard in Committees of the Whole.

The procedural change is expected not only to drive the Legislature into long work days, but to increase pressure on Republicans who have held that a tax increase would be more damaging to the state than significant cuts to education and other services.

Democrats argue the hearings also will improve the transparency of the budget process.

The change is expected to force lawmakers to begin hearing budgets as early as 7 a.m., before regular committee meetings, and late into the night.

The work schedule is reminiscent of Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford’s effort last session to whittle down Republican resolve on the budget by forcing them into round-the-clock floor sessions.

The Legislature has entered the final half of its 120-session this year with little movement on a budget agreement. Democrats have vowed not to accept Sandoval’s proposed cuts to education, while Republicans have dug in behind his budget.

The stalemate has extended to closed-door meetings of legislative leaders, the so-called core group, which usually negotiates an agreement on the budget. Democrats have complained Republicans have refused to negotiate.

“They just sit there!” one Democrat said two weeks ago.

That has had Democrats scrambling for an alternative way to shake Republican resolve.

Senate Minority Leader Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, said he welcomes the change.

"It's not going to change our caucus," he said. "I still see us holding strong."