Message mixed on education

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons and his official spokesman, Dan Burns, sent a mixed message Wednesday about motivation behind proposals for major education reform in the state.

The reform calls for stripping from the law books mandates for everything from small class sizes to collective bargaining requirements.

Before Gibbons met with reporters to discuss the reform proposal, Burns repeatedly emphasized that saving money to fix the state's budget problems wasn't the motivation.

"It isn't so much about saving money; it is about improving education," Burns said. "The same amount of money is still going to education."

Gibbons, however, repeatedly emphasized the potential monetary savings he and Burns estimated to be $30 million to $100 million over two years.

"Why now is because the state budget is not showing the vitality we had hoped for at the end of the legislative session. We are required by the constitution, required by law, to balance the budget," Gibbons said.

Later, the governor added: "We can no longer expect that 46 percent of the state's budget fund all of the budget reductions. Fifty-four percent goes to education in this state, and we avoided education last time with only a 2.5 percent reduction. Now we are looking at something that is already, after three to five months, $72 million short. We can no longer expect to keep going back to that well of 46 percent of the budget to make up 100 percent of the reduction."

ENSIGN TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., will hold a town hall meeting this week to discuss health care.

Ensign has said the meeting will be open to the public and reporters.

The details from Ensign's office are as follows: Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, Las Vegas.

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.