First-term governors to learn from Gibbons’ experiences

CARSON CITY -- Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons is hosting a seminar in November aimed at helping newly elected governors prepare for their new jobs.

The seminar is held after every election by the National Governors Association. This year's event is Nov. 20-22 in Las Vegas.

Gibbons said he attended a similar seminar after his election in 2006 and found it to be "an invaluable experience."

Some of his experiences could prompt some of the governors-elect to think twice about their new roles.

Nearing the halfway mark in his first term, Gibbons has been forced to approve a long list of budget cuts to cope with a projected revenue shortfall of nearly $1.2 billion by the end of this fiscal year.

The governor, adamantly opposed to new or higher taxes, is considering major budget reductions in the next two-year budget cycle, which starts in July 2009, because of fears of another huge revenue shortfall in that period.

Gibbons also filed for divorce in May, citing incompatibility.

First lady Dawn Gibbons moved out of the governor's mansion and into a guest house on the mansion grounds, and Gibbons is pursuing a court order that would get her off the property.