Bill Number: SB 10 (link)

Sponsor: Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development – On behalf of the Nevada Association of Counties (NACO)

Status: SB 10 was heard on Tuesday, March 30th in Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development

Press: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/bill-proposing-property-tax-floor-increase-receives-icy-reception

Notes: The purpose of this legislation is to increase property taxes on Nevadans because NACO wants more revenue for their member county governments, and property taxes are a major revenue source for local governments.  SB 10 would essentially disregard the Consumer Price Index when determining the current property tax increase ceiling.  Like all property tax hikes, it’s not only home owners who get impacted, but those who rent because costs obviously increase for landlords who will then pass those increases on to the renters.  Keystone has informed members of the Committee that we oppose this legislation.

Bill Number: SB 11 (link)

Sponsor: Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development – On behalf of the City of Reno

Status: SB 11 was heard on Thursday, March 4th in Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development 

Press: None

Notes: Keystone opposes this legislation as it authorizes incorporated cities in Washoe County to impose a “supplemental governmental services tax” on its citizens.  Our opposition is based off the policy of this tax hike on Nevada citizens, the process by which it is being advanced, and the timing of this proposal.  

First, as a policy, we believe this is not the time for any government entity in Nevada to raise taxes on its citizens, given the financial hardship so many of our citizens faced this past year.  

Second, as a process, we believe enabling legislation like SB 11 simply provides a convenient way for the legislature to circumvent the Gibbons Tax Restraint Initiative (GTRI).  Authorizing local governments to raise taxes by passing legislation on a simple majority vote, as opposed to meeting the two-thirds threshold outlined in our state’s constitution, may have been determined by lawyers to be permissible, but it undoubtedly violates the spirit of the GTRI.

And finally, in regard to timing, there is a strong likelihood that the federal government recently provided billions of dollars to Nevada as part of the Rescue Act so more revenue is simply not necessary.

Bill Number: SB 73 (link)

Sponsor: Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development – On behalf of the City of Reno

Status: SB 73 was heard by the Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development on Thursday, March 4th. 

Press: None

Notes: Keystone opposes this legislation for essentially the same reasons we oppose SB 11 (above)

Bill Number: AB 340 (link) 

Sponsor: Assemblyman Andy Matthews

Status: AB 340 was heard 

Press: None

Notes: This is good legislation for Keystone to support and monitor because it would require executive state agencies to disclose the economic impact of the regulations they propose on Nevada businesses and industries.  Further, the bill prohibits such agencies from adopting any regulations they propose that have an adverse economic impact (threshold price tag would be $10,000,000) without the vote of the legislature and approval of the governor.  This legislation is modeled after the federal, fiscally-responsible REINS Act. 

The major elections bill – AB 321 – which will make all the “temporary” election laws that were implemented because of COVID last summer permanent, was heard last week.  There was a lot of press on this bill, which will make ballot harvesting legal permanently, as well as universal mail balloting, among other things.  

You can find the bill here: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021/Bill/7842/Overview

Press coverage: 

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/permanent-expanded-mail-in-voting-straight-ticket-ballots-draw-partisan-fire-in-legislature

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/2021-legislature/democrats-republicans-tangle-over-mail-in-voting-bill-2320386/

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/02/nevadas-universal-mail-voting-bill-gets-first-hearing-carson/7061833002/