Lawmakers set to make decisions on governor’s budget

By Cy Ryan

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | 10:37 a.m.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed budget has been roundly criticized by Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee as cutting too much from education and social services. Now the ball is in their court.

The finance subcommittees have completed the first round of hearings on Sandoval’s $5.8 billion general fund budget. They will start holding work sessions next week to decide how money should be spent.

“As I said from the beginning, there should be a more balanced approach to preserve education and other vital services,” said Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Education and social services should not be gutted and there must be enough tax revenue to pay for these programs, Horsford said. He didn't say where taxes might be raised to offset some of the reductions.

Horsford said the governor has talked about shared sacrifices, “but when you drill down into the details of it the only people who seem to be sacrificing are the poor and the middle class who depend on programs.

The finance committee will begin April 2 approving budgets.

There has been talk of closing some public schools or combining the programs within Nevada’s System of Higher Education.

As an example, the Lyon County School Board says it is looking at a possible $4.5 million reduction in state funding, and there has been discussion of closing an elementary and middle school.

The school board did not take action at its meeting this week.

The finance committee told Dan Klaich, chancellor of the state’s system of higher education, to return by April 5 with more details on what the governor’s proposed budget for universities and colleges would mean.

University presidents told the finance committee this week that many classes or programs would have to be scrapped, there would be bigger class sizes and limited enrollment.