When one moves here from elsewhere there are lots of things to learn. That's only natural. Of all these things, learning about how Nevada government works has been the most difficult (because it's so different from most other places) and is still, after four + years, somewhat baffling.
The Nevada State Legislature is made up of 21 Senators and 42 Assembly members. Regardless of the state population, the state constitution caps legislature membership at 75 people. They meet in odd numbered years for 120 days beginning the first Monday in February. They receive $130 per diem for the first 60 days of the session and nothing for the last 60. That $7,800 has to hold them for two years.
So, now they've been in session in Carson City for three months, 90 of their 120 allotted days. It stands to reason that, with those time constraints, things happen quickly, right? Nope, things here move at the same snail's pace as they do in state legislatures that can legally meet in endless session.
Thus far this year, Nevada has a new official State Insect: the Vivid Dancer Damselfly. (The beautiful blue one shown here is the male. The female is brown.) Also under consideration is the adoption of a law banning texting while driving. The state hasn't gotten around to instituting hands-free cell phone use while driving.
What has yet to be resolved is a state budget. That process, too, is different than it is elsewhere.
The Nevada governor has to submit a budget to the legislators two weeks before the session begins. The budget then goes to the Economic Forum, five people appointed by the pols who cannot be state employees (that includes academics in the state system) who by May 1 must come up with an economic forecast that, by statute, legislators must use to put together the budget for the next two years.
The State of Nevada depends to a great extent on gaming and various tourism-related taxes for its revenue. Thus, in this economy, the state's shortfall is $3 billion.
And, don't forget this is in a state that pretty much ranks in the bottom five in every national measure of education and health care and in the top five in home foreclosures.
To solve the problem and not raise taxes, Governor Jim Gibbons (you can follow his colorful history as governor in some interesting articles in the New York Times) has called for huge cuts in services, including 38 percent cuts in higher education and severe cuts for local school districts.
In health care, Nevada is admittedly violating federal law by, according to Chuck Duarte, administrator for the Division of Healthcare Financing and Policy, not reimbursing five hospitals for uncompensated indigent care. He says the state runs out of money before this can be done. (Isn't that a violation of federal law?)
University Medical Center, the safety-net hospital for Clark County -- the most populous region in the state -- has ceased providing chemotherapy, dialysis and neonatal intensive care. You can, however, bring your child's car seat to the hospital to check that you're putting it in the car correctly.
The list goes on. Even after closely watching budget skirmishes in New York, California and Florida over the years, Nevada still becomes one scary place to be if you have a medical emergency or have to educate yourself or a child.I am not a proponent of raising taxes -- no one wants to pay more taxes -- but healthcare, education and the infrastructure are too important to collapse.
ProgressNowNevada, a liberal website dedicated to changing state government, is sponsoring a series of rallies statewide to urge legislators to adopt a "sane" budget.
At the moment in Nevada, without major changes, that seems unlikely.
(Damselfly image from odophile.com)
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