Gov. Brian Sandoval’s tax plan made it past its first milestone Tuesday morning, after it was passed by the Senate, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
The Sun reports the tax plan was passed in a 17 – 4 vote. The bill needed a two-thirds majority because it changes tax policy in the state.
The Sun reported:
No Republican lawmaker pushed harder for the measure than Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson. He’s spent weeks counting votes to gauge whether the chamber could win 14 or more votes to overcome the supermajority requirement.
According to political columnist Jon Ralston, St. Sen. Scott Hammond, St. Sen. James Settelmeyer, St. Sen. Pete Goicocha and St. Sen. Donald Gustavson voted against the measure.
The tax bill is part of an overall effort to change the state’s tax structure to provide more funding for Nevada’s education system.
The bill now goes on to the Assembly where an even bigger fight is expected.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports:
The bill now moves to the Assembly, where passage is anything but assured and Sandoval will have to use all his political prowess to strike a deal. At least 12 conservative GOP Assembly members have pledged to oppose the tax.