CARSON CITY (AP) — The Nevada Republican Party released a digital advertisement Monday blasting Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro over a decision by two budget committees to make deep cuts to proposed school safety initiatives.
The advertisement criticizes the budget committees' decision to cut about $30 million in proposed funding for the initiatives, including efforts for school resource officers and facility improvements.
Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak's budget proposed spending a little under $54 million on the school safety efforts over the next biennium with a piece of revenue from a sales tax on retail marijuana.
"Students aren't safe under Cannizzaro's watch," the advertisement says.
A Democrat-backed bill proposes to divert revenue from the marijuana sales tax toward education funding instead of the school safety initiatives and the Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship.
Nevada Republican Party Executive Director Will Sexauer says in a statement that Cannizzaro "is putting Nevada children at risk with her proposal to raid the school safety budget."
The Assembly Democratic caucus on Monday highlighted that that two budget committees did approve more than $23 million in additional funding for school safety initiatives.
The caucus said that funding will go toward surveillance equipment, mental health services and campus police officer staffing.
It said the increase in funding comes after "years of wrangling and pushback from Republican lawmakers in the Legislature."
