Lawmakers move toward home stretch

CARSON CITY — The endgame is near in the Nevada Legislature.

With two weeks to go before the 2011 session adjourns, most of the action will be taking place in behind-the-scenes huddles as lawmakers try to strike deals to bring the session to a close.

There will also be a hefty dose of satirical commentary, when the press corps turns the tables on lawmakers and lobbyists Friday night in a tradition known as the Third House.

Monday begins the 16th week of the session, which concludes at 1 a.m. on June 7.

Most committees finished their work last week, when any bills not otherwise exempt had to pass out of committee in the second house or die.

Another big deadline looms Friday, when all bills must pass the second chamber or suffer the same fate.

As the end draws closer, the budget battle will intensify as Democrats push a tax plan that to succeed needs five Republicans to defect from Gov. Brian Sandoval’s no-new-taxes platform.

Sandoval has proposed a $6.1 billion, two-year spending plan based on projected tax revenues, available borrowing and taking money from or shifting costs to local governments.

Democrats are proposing two tax bills they argue would stabilize the state’s tax base and insulate government coffers from extreme volatility. Senate Bill 491 would impose a margin tax to tax businesses on a portion of gross revenue, with the first $1 million exempt. Assembly Bill 569 would impose a 1 percent transaction fee on services.

Backers argue the two combined would raise $1.2 billion and avoid deep cuts to education and social services included in the governor’s budget.

SB491 would also lift a sunset on temporary taxes imposed in 2009 that are set to expire June 30.

Though the Assembly GOP caucus has said it might consider lifting the sunset in exchange for education, government and collective bargaining reforms, no such overture has been made by state Senate Republicans.

Besides taxes and the budget, the political sniping over redrawing the state Senate, Assembly and congressional districts continues. Sandoval last week vetoed the first plan passed by Democrats, calling it partisan and illegal. Democrats said the veto was designed to appease Sandoval’s Republican base.

Democrats refused to hold hearings on Republican maps until they provided more detailed information. After the GOP complied Friday, Democratic leadership denounced the plan as racial gerrymandering.

Lawsuits have been filed in both state and federal court, arguing lawmakers are incapable of fairly redrawing voting boundaries.