Capital Focus

The Nevada Commission on Construction Education has awarded grants to seven Nevada organizations totaling $259,611.

Western Nevada College Foundation received $10,000 to provide tuition assistance to students applying for classes in carpentry, plumbing, electrical, scheduling, surveying and safety. The grant will provide scholarship funds in the amount of $250 per student per semester.

Academy for Career Education in Reno received $29,111 to fund a marketing campaign to promote ACE as a tuition-free public high school for students in grades 9-12 who are interested in pursuing a career in the construction industry.

Western Apprenticeship Coordinators Association of Reno, received $30,000 for its "Building Trade Apprenticeship Recruiting & Marketing Program" to recruit apprentices for the building trades in Northern Nevada counties.

Associated General Contractors of Las Vegas received $72,000 for its Construction Education Center's 31 classes, seminars and courses designed to upgrade the professional abilities, skills and standing of the construction workforce in Southern Nevada.

Associated Builders & Contractors of Las Vegas received $33,500 to cover the costs of seminars, courses and classes intended to improve the construction industry by expanding workers' abilities, skills and knowledge in Southern Nevada.

Southern Nevada Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Service Contractors Association of Las Vegas, received $35,000 for increasing enrollments its North American Technical Excellence certification program for technicians in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration industry.

Northwest Career & Technical Academy, Las Vegas, received $50,000 to cover the cost of software, construction materials, presenters and product for one school year to research, design, build and present efficient and environmentally conscious displays that demonstrate the impact on residential construction and usage.

The Construction Education Commission was created by the Nevada Legislature in 2001 for the purpose of encouraging programs that meet the mission of improving quality and integrity in the construction industry. It consists of one member from the Nevada State Contractors Board and six members appointed by the governor. Four members represent the construction industry and the other two have knowledge of construction education programs.

The commission is totally funded through voluntary contributions and fines levied through the Nevada State Contractors Board disciplinary process.

Grant applications are available on the Nevada State Contractors Board website at: www.nscb.state.nv.us.

The Controller's Office has completed the construction and testing of the disaster recovery site in southern Nevada approved by the 2007 Legislature.

Controller Kim Wallin said the creation of the disaster recovery site is a significant milestone in the two-year effort to secure the state's financial operations in the event of a natural or man-made disaster in Carson City.

"I am very pleased that we are now able to process financial transactions and print checks in Las Vegas in the event of a major problem with the system in the north," said Wallin. "One of the important lessons learned from natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina or man-made disasters like Sept. 11 is the need for a disaster recovery location hundreds of miles away from the main operation site to keep business running both during and after the disaster."

Treasurer Kate Marshall Tuesday called for a change in the law which currently lets retailers keep a piece of the sales tax revenues they collect.

She said according to the Wall Street Journal, Nevada is one of 26 states which let retailers keep part of the tax revenues they collect to compensate them for the expense of gathering and accounting for those funds.

According to a report by GoodJobsFirst.org, those states lose about $1 billion a year in tax revenues.

And according to that non-profit organization, Nevada loses about $5 million a year to those fees.

Those laws were originally passed in the days before computerized cash registers when it took businesses time and effort to calculate the total taxes they collected and generate a payment to the state. The Legislature cut the fee from 1.25 percent of the total tax collections to a half percent in the 2003 session.

Marshall said in the state's current economic crisis, the fee should be eliminated.

"We need to identify any loopholes we have in our tax system before we talk about raising taxes," said Marshall.

She said she would suggest to the Legislature that they "cut the loophole."

Child and Family Services

- Implementing a new program to get children SSI eligible in Clark County will give $4.0 in General Fund revenue.

- 38 FTEs will be cut in Clark County based on caseload trends.

- One housing unit at Caliente Youth Center will be closed giving $840,000 to the treasury.

- One housing unit will be closed in Elko Youth Center saving $727,000 in General Fund revenue.

- The high school at Elko Youth Center will be either operated by the Elko County School district or as a charter school with standard state K-12 funding funding, a savings of $2.4 million to the department.

Nov. 19, 9 a.m., Room 4100, Legislature. Interim Finance Committee Subcommittee on Capital Improvement Projects budget.

Nov. 20, 9 a.m., Room 4100 Legislature. Interim Finance Committee meeting.

Nov. 20, 9:30 a.m., Gaming Control Board headquarters, College Parkway. Monthly Gaming Commission meeting.

Nov. 20, 9:30 a.m., 1150 E. William St. Hearing Room A. Public Utilities Commission regular meeting.

Nov. 20, 1 p.m., Room 3138 Legislature. Nevada Youth Legislative Issues Forum.

Nov. 21, 9 a.m., Room 4100 Legislature. Commission on the Administration of Justice.