Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Panel kills bill limiting taxes

Proponents to push initiative petition

CARSON CITY -- A proposed constitutional amendment to rein in government spending died Tuesday in the Senate Finance Committee on a 5-2 vote.

Senate Joint Resolution 5, modeled on Colorado's TABOR, or Taxpayer Bill of Rights, was sought by Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas.

The measure had to be passed out of the Senate by Friday if it was to stay alive.

The Senate panel brought it up for a vote after a final hearing Monday. There was no discussion as Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, moved to approve the measure. Beers seconded the motion, but it gained no further support on the panel.

Chairman Bill Raggio, R-Reno, voted no, as did Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora. All three Democrats on the panel voted no as well.

Beers predicted the proposal would fail in the Legislature, but said he is prepared to help push for an initiative petition to put the spending limitation on the ballot in 2006.

Cegavske said opponents of the measure used scare tactics about the effects of TABOR in Colorado to ensure its defeat.

"I think people are afraid of the unknown," she said. "I think we're doing the people's work by putting TABOR (into law)."

Beers said he probably will work with Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, R-Reno, to get TABOR on the ballot.

"It would make sense to throw in together," he said. "I've had a number of folks express an interest in making sure this is on the ballot."

Any constitutional amendment would have to be passed twice by voters, in 2006 and 2008, before it could take effect.

Angle wants to put both TABOR and a California-style Proposition 13 property tax limit on the ballot in Nevada.

Getting constitutional amendments on the ballot through the initiative process would become much harder if another legislative proposal, Assembly Joint Resolution 5, wins approval. It would increase the number of signatures needed to qualify a constitutional amendment for the ballot, from 10 percent to 20 percent of those who voted in the last general election.

The measure passed the Assembly on Monday and was sent to the Senate. It would have to be approved twice by the Legislature before it could go to voters in 2008, however.

"There does seem to be a concerted effort to take the people out of the legislative process this time," Beers said.

TABOR would limit spending by a state or local government entity to population growth, plus the rate of inflation. Any spending above that amount would have to be approved by voters.

TABOR is only in effect in Colorado, put in place by the voters in 1992. But Colorado voters will be asked in November to suspend the provisions of TABOR for five years because of its adverse effects on state government spending.