Nevada Supreme Court will hear gaming tax petition

The Nevada Supreme Court today announced it will conduct a hearing July 1 to determine whether a petition to increase the gaming tax should go on the November election ballot.

Chief Justice Mark Gibbons set the tentative date to hear the Nevada Resort Association’s appeal of a lower court decision that has allowed the Nevada State Education Association to circulate the petitions.

“Nevada voters have a right to cast their ballots on appropriate matters and the Supreme Court will do whatever it can to prevent unnecessary delays,” Gibbons said. “These initiative cases usually present very difficult questions of law that must be decided in a short period of time, but I am confident the Supreme Court can resolve them in a timely manner.”

The NSEA petition would allow voters to decide whether to increase the gaming tax rate, now 6.75 percent, to 9.75 percent. The additional tax would bring in $250 million to $400 million a year.