Tactical Democrats pass education budget, rile Republicans

CARSON CITY — After three months of building their case against Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed cuts to education, Democratic lawmakers in a matter of hours approved a multibillion-dollar school funding plan of their own.

On Tuesday, Democratic leaders used emergency rules to introduce, debate and approve in both legislative chambers Assembly Bill 568, which would spend about $2.8 billion in general fund money on K-12 education in the next two years. That’s about $714 million more than Sandoval proposed in his original budget, which was built around a promise not to increase taxes.

“I am not doing this to oppose the governor or to score political points; I am doing this for our children,” said Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas.

The bill breezed through the entire legislative process in several hours, as Democratic leaders suspended regular procedures to the chagrin of Republican lawmakers, who put up a fight.

Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, said Democrats were exaggerating by saying Sandoval’s budget proposal would result in teacher layoffs, especially after the governor submitted budget amendments seeking to add back about $267 million in K-12 funding.

Roberson and other Republicans have said teacher jobs could be preserved if teacher bargaining groups were willing to negotiate salary concessions.

“No teacher has to lose their job under this budget. That is up to the unions,” Roberson said.

By approving their own K-12 spending plan, Democrats got a chance to highlight their budget priorities and, in the likely event of a veto, force Sandoval to go on record defending cuts to education. And by passing the plan with 27 days remaining in the 120-day legislative session, Democrats leave themselves time to find Republican lawmakers willing to defy Sandoval and vote for the taxes needed to pay for the proposed spending.

The governor, who has five days to veto AB568, didn’t indicate what he plans to do.

“AB568 was introduced and passed under emergency procedures in a matter of hours. We believe the legislative budget process should be open and transparent, yet today’s action is contrary to those goals,” Sandoval senior adviser Dale Erquiaga said in a statement. “Because of this, the governor will not comment until we’ve had a chance to review this legislation in full.”

Republican lawmakers have defended Sandoval’s anti-tax line in large part by accusing Democrats of refusing to say how much education money they think is needed and of blocking debate about education reform.

With the passage of AB568, Democrats officially put a spending proposal on the table and appeared poised to follow up with reform ideas, which would pressure Republicans to bargain on taxes.

The bill coincides with another Democratic proposal to add another $920 million in spending to Sandoval’s proposed $6.1 billion general fund budget.

The spending would be funded in part by about $571 million from a new tax on services that would apply to consumers and another tax on business revenue. Democrats also want to extend the life of about $626 million in taxes that are scheduled to expire July 1.

“I’m a reasonable person, and I believe in compromise and meeting people in the middle,” Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, said shortly before the Assembly approved a procedural motion to send AB568 to Sandoval. “It is time for some movement.”

It’s unclear whether the Democrats’ gambit will help them find two Assembly and three Senate Republicans willing to join the two-thirds majority needed to defy Sandoval and increase taxes.

The legislative session started Feb. 7, and in the subsequent 92 days all Republicans have refused to budge from the anti-tax line.

Even some Democrats have come to acknowledge Sandoval’s budget might win the day if Republican lawmakers refuse to compromise.

“We are probably going to have a tough time,” said Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas. If Republicans don’t change position, “we will have to come back and redo the budget and gut the schools and gut the university system.”

AB568 was expedited and passed out of both the Senate and Assembly without a single Republican vote as the session builds toward conclusion. The final votes were 26-16 in the Assembly and 11-10 in the Senate.

The bill essentially puts in writing the funding plan Democrats laid out during a May 3 joint meeting of Assembly and Senate money committees.

According to AB568 text and testimony on Tuesday, the bill calls for about $2.7 billion in general fund spending on K-12 schools plus another $486 million from other sources.

It rejects Sandoval proposals to cut school employees’ pay by 5 percent, freeze merit pay increases for teachers and lift restrictions on school construction bond reserves so the money can be spent in the classroom.

“This would certainly be better for us than any other budget that has come forth,” said Joyce Haldeman, associate superintendent for Clark County School District.

In the debate on the Senate floor, Roberson accused Democrats of putting unionized public employees above what’s best for the education system.

“The majority party is beholden to public-sector unions,” Roberson said. “The proof is in the pudding.”

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.