We’re a month from the end of another legislative session, but this last week saw more twists and turns from our state lawmakers.
Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Steve Sebelius said with the clock winding down the sense of urgency is increasing.
“We've got about a month left and people are seeing the clock ticking down and so now we’re starting to see people get a little more urgency with respect to legislation,” Sebelius said.
Friday, the Economic Forum will announce how much money the state has to spend over the next two years. The estimates are based on current taxes and fees.
Sebelius told KNPR's State of Nevada that although it would be nice if the forum announced the state had an extra billion dollars some where, that is unlikely, which means some taxes will be needed to get to Gov. Brian Sandoval's $7.4 billion budget.
The governor's budget is based on $1.1 billion in new fees and taxes, but skeptics maintain those estimates are far from the actual number and Sebelius agrees.
“I would not be surprised in the least to find that the projections that the governor has built into the taxes that he has proposed might be a little more optimistic, we shall say, that might actually come out in reality,” Sebelius said.
However, he also said that it is difficult to determine how much a tax will generate before it is implemented.
Regulations for the ride-sharing app Uber took center stage in Carson City this week.
St. SenatorJames Settelmeyer, R-Minden tried to add an amendment to the bill, which outlines insurance policies for Uber drivers, that would have immunized the company from being regulated like taxi cabs.
“It would have erased any kind of regulation beyond the insurance requirements,” Sebelius said.
The columnist said that something needs to come out of the Legislature to regulate Uber because you really can't stop it.
Steve Sebelius, columnist, Las Vegas Review-Journal
