Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons said today he's calling a special session of the Legislature to deal with the state's budget crisis and revenue shortfall expected to top $1 billion by mid-2009.
The governor called the session, scheduled to start June 23 and run for no more than five days, following a meeting with other state officials and legislative leaders on Thursday " a session that ended with lawmakers opposing the idea of such a session.
Gibbons said he decided that a special session is needed because "a budget crisis of this magnitude should not be addressed by only a few selected leaders."
The governor, who sets the agenda for special sessions, said deferring scheduled pay increases for government employees and teachers will be on the agenda. That would save more than $100 million in the coming fiscal year.