Governor is Calling a Special Session Last Week of June

Posted by Myrna the Minx on June 13, 2008 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

I just got a tip from a reliable source that Governor Gibbons will be calling a special session of the legislature to deal with Nevada’s budget crisis. More details soon. From Kolo News:

The governor called the session, scheduled to start June 23 and run for no more than five days, following a meeting with other state officials and legislative leaders on Thursday - a session that ended with lawmakers opposing the idea of such a session.

Gibbons said he decided that a special session is needed because “a budget crisis of this magnitude should not be addressed by only a few selected leaders.”

The governor, who sets the agenda for special sessions, said deferring scheduled pay increases for government employees and teachers will be on the agenda. That would save more than $100 million in the coming fiscal year.

Here’s the official press release that discusses the possible elimination of state employee COLAs (cost of living raise). I know a lot of state workers are breathing a little sigh of relief right now. Losing your COLA is better than losing your job. Of course, that doesn’t mean all state jobs are safe, but it does release some of the pressure.

FYI: Any sitting legislator will have to stop fund raising as soon as the special session becomes official which puts a big crimp in the campaign season for many incumbents–Bill Raggio for instance. Their opponents will be free to raise money during the special session.