ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 15

In his bid to unseat five-term incumbent Kathy McClain, Republican candidate Dale Snyder will focus on education reforms and prioritizing budget cuts to keep the state afloat during the economic turndown.

"We need to examine the budget and prioritize what needs to be kept, what needs to be worked with and what needs to be cut," said Snyder, who is running for public office for the first time.

If elected, he said, he will oppose tax increases.

In the current economic conditions, tax increases would reduce business growth and jobs, and reduce revenue flow, Snyder said.

He said he favors a leaner state government but would spare education from cutbacks, hoping to keep the cost of education in check through a freeze on program costs rather than teacher layoffs.

Budget cuts would be in order for other state functions, though, based on priorities that would be determined, he said.

"The state's been living pretty good on the taxpayers' money. Now that things are getting tight, you have to cut things out," Snyder said.

Snyder, a 1981 graduate of Chaparral High School whose children attended the same school, said he thinks the Clark County School District has underperformed and is too large.

The focus should be on the students, not the bureaucracy, he said.

"I'm in favor of breaking up the school district. That would make it easier for people to be involved in controlling what's going on," he said.

McClain, a Democrat, serves as chairwoman of the Assembly's Taxation Committee. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Regis College and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Other than taking a hard look at how to restructure the state's revenue system, her priorities include tackling issues that affect senior citizens and veterans. She has chaired commissions on both.

McClain said she is open to suggestions on revamping revenue flows, where money from fees and fines can play roles in balancing the budget.

She doesn't favor tax increases in the current economic climate but would like to see a tax structure that's more fair.

"Our business community really does not pay their fair share," she said. "Everybody thought that Las Vegas was recession-proof. We need to have the business community step up and pay their share."

Rather than lay off state employees and teachers to balance the budget, McClain would like to establish four-day work weeks for state workers to save on operating costs.

Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.