Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Senate approves major legislation

CARSON CITY — The Senate took big steps Saturday toward final adjournment with passage of the money to support state government for the coming two years and pay raises for state workers.

The votes on the two bills were along party lines with Democrats in the majority on AB-518 the General Appropriation Act and AB-517 for the salary increase of two percent in each of the coming two fiscal years. Both go to Gov. Brian Sandoval for his approval.

Republicans are still protesting the potential demise of the subsidy bill for parents who send their children to private or religious schools. Traditionally these bills have had unanimous support.

Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford, D-Las Vegas, said the appropriation bill provides $4.9 billion in the coming biennium, an increase of $544 million from the present two fiscal year budget.

It goes to support the programs in the various agencies and $1.9 billion for the Nevada System of Higher Education.

This state money is in addition to the $16.2 billion in the authorization act that has been approved also by both houses. The authorization includes the receipt of federal and local funds, gifts, fees and fines.

Ford said the appropriation act includes more than $1.2 billion as Nevada’s share for support of Medicaid.

The bill pays for miscellaneous programs such as Meals on Wheels for the elderly and the Tule Springs Park in Southern Nevada. The money for the state prison system includes funds to send 200 inmates out of state while restoration work is done at the Desert Springs Correctional Center in Clark County.

The general appropriations act was approved earlier in the Assembly 25-14 and 12-9 in the Senate.

The pay raise bill AB-517 includes $18.6 million next fiscal year for the two percent pay increase and $38.4 million the following year for state and university workers. The highway fund will also contribute $4.2 million for its transportation workers.

This annual two percent raise is the highest since the recession when salaries were frozen and workers had to take six unpaid days off. Last biennium, the employees got a one percent raise and a two percent in this fiscal year.

The Senate on Saturday passed and sent to the Assembly SB551 the subsidies given state workers for their health insurance coverage. The bill sets aside $743 per month to pay part of the insurance cost for state workers next year and $740 per month in the following year.

That bill was approved 21-0.

Still to be voted on is the capital improvement bill that sets aside money for construction projects for the coming two years. That failed in the Senate earlier this week because it failed to get the two-thirds or 14 votes.

The Senate also decided not to override the governor’s veto on such bills as letting elderly inmates out of prison earlier and allowing local governments to designate public places for marijuana use.

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