Bill tries to let Nevada schools use $400 million construction fund

CARSON CITY — Senate Democrats on Wednesday pushed through a bill that could redirect to school construction about $400 million Gov. Brian Sandoval intends to use to balance the state budget.

The 11-10 party line vote for Assembly Bill 183 came despite protests from Republican senators who wanted time to craft a compromise amendment they said would prevent a Sandoval veto and ensure the bill becomes law.

Although the bill was approved in both houses of the Legislature, it doesn’t have enough votes to override an expected veto and is unlikely to become law.

The bill, which would allow school districts to dip into bond reserves to refurbish school buildings, was touted as a way to create jobs and make schools safer and more comfortable for kids.

“The voters wanted this money to rehabilitate old schools,” said Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno. “These kids can’t wait, the teachers can’t wait. I see no reason to wait.”

But it turned into a political weapon in the fight between Sandoval, a Republican, and the Democratic majority in the Legislature over how to balance the state’s 2011-13 budget.

Sandoval and legislative Republicans want to hold general fund spending to about $5.8 billion in an effort to help the governor keep his campaign promise to balance the budget without raising taxes.

Democrats, however, have introduced bills such as AB183 that would undermine Sandoval’s plan by poking holes in his proposed budget without identifying where money to backfill the holes would come from.

Sen. Greg Brower, R-Reno, said he and other Republicans agreed in principle that it would be good to give schools more flexibility to spend bond reserves on construction. But he added that the Republicans needed some time to put together changes that would accomplish that goal without punching a hole in Sandoval’s budget.

Brower said Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, had indicated privately he would hold up a vote on AB183 to give Republicans a chance to put together a compromise. The compromise didn’t arrive in time for the Wednesday floor session.