The assault on the state treasury begins in earnest this week. Bills requesting more than $88 million "in supplemental and one-shot appropriations" are being introduced in Carson City, The Associated Press notes.
Many of the proposals were already included in the governor's budget, such as a $30.1 million request to buy modular housing units for the Department of Corrections.
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But other requests seek to pile more on top of the record-setting budget proposed by Gov. Jim Gibbons.
For instance, the city of North Las Vegas wants $8.4 million to restore Keil Ranch, while state Sen. Bernice Mathews, a Sparks Democrat, wants taxpayers to pony up $20 million to renovate the Reno-Sparks Livestock Center.
Certainly, there will be other such follies -- especially near the end of the session when lawmakers like to slip pet projects past fiscal watchdogs during the frenzied finish.
But congratulations to North Las Vegas and Sen. Mathews for getting out front at the pork parade.
