Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 | 3:19 p.m.
CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval is putting the finishing touches on his State of the State address to the Legislature on Tuesday, but he’s mum on any details.
Asked if he was going to propose new taxes or give state workers a pay raise, Sandoval said, “You’ll see Tuesday.”
A joint session of the Legislature will hear the address and receive the two-year budget proposed by Sandoval. Asked if he expected 2017 to be better than 2016, Sandoval replied that it would be “one great year after another.”
The Economic Forum budgeted $7.8 billion in general funds for the next two fiscal years, and Sandoval must abide by that figure unless he plans to raise taxes.
Nevada’s economy has been growing in the past year, and unemployment continues to decline. The governor has been upbeat about the future of Nevada.
He has pushed for improvements in the public schools system. The 2015 Legislature, at his request, allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to raise achievement levels.
This biennium, the funding for educational programs consumed 53.2 percent of the $7.4 billion general fund budget.
But Education Weekly, in its annual report released this month, still rated Nevada’s educational system as last in the nation.
Meanwhile, a plan to provide vouchers of up to $5,000 to parents who send their children to private schools was derailed by the Nevada Supreme Court. Sandoval said he has been working with state Sen. Scott Hammond of Las Vegas to develop a plan to fix the legal issues.
The governor opposed initiative petitions to legalize recreational marijuana and expand background checks for those who buy guns. Both were approved by the voters.
Now the machinery must be worked out in the Legislature to get the marijuana program running.
The governor’s Energy Office is going to propose legislation to push for more renewable energy programs.
Sandoval is proposing more benefits for members of the military, veterans and their families, including more state college tuition exemptions.
Other proposals would require movie companies to pay a state business license fee and the state Department of Motor Vehicles to adopt regulations for the operation of driverless cars.
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