Money matters will be at forefront of Nevada Legislature in week 13

CARSON CITY — The 13th week of the Nevada Legislature kicks off Monday with a heavy focus on the budget, and a return to committee hearings as bills that survived last week’s deadline for first house passage now move to the other chamber.

On Monday, the Economic Forum meets to hear detailed presentations from economists and fiscal analysts. Then the five-member independent board will make an educated prediction on how much money the state will have to fund government for the next two years.

The forum will project how much state coffers can expect to receive from sales, gaming, payroll and all other revenue streams. Its forecast must be used to balance the state budget.

Monday’s Economic Forum marks the beginning of the end for the 120-day session that ends by midnight June 5. Once the projections are made, money committees will push hard to close agency budgets and the scramble will be on over how to spend any additional money anticipated.

Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees have essentially met every day since the session started. They will hold their first weekend meeting on Saturday to close various budgets within the attorney general’s office, along with the governor’s office high-level nuclear waste budget.

Not just money

Besides budgets, the money committees will be busy rifling through dozens of bills referred to their committees because of fiscal impact. On Monday, Ways and Means has 20 bills on the agenda.

Senate Government Affairs will hear a measure requiring new public buildings to have baby changing tables in all restrooms, while Senate Judiciary will consider making active military members or those honorably discharged who are under age 21 eligible for a concealed weapons permit.

Senate Joint Resolution 11 to allow for limited annual legislative sessions is heard Monday by Senate Committee on Operations and Elections.

On Tuesday, Assembly Committee on Corrections, Parole and Probation considers a bill to allow the early release of limited, elderly prisoners. Assembly Natural Resources will hear bills to outlaw trafficking of sensitive wildlife species and establish a “Public Lands Day” in Nevada.

Senate Natural Resources will take up a resolution expressing support for the Antiquities Act and the designations of Gold Butte and Basin and Range as national monuments.

Senate Legislative Operations and Elections takes up four election-related bills Wednesday. Senate and Assembly judiciary committees will meet jointly Wednesday night for a presentation by the Department of Taxation on implementing recreational marijuana.

Medicaid, Nevada Check-up and welfare budgets will be discussed Friday by a Ways and Means and Senate Finance subcommittee.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereg@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3821. Follow @SandraChereb on Twitter.