Sen. Bernice Mathews, D-Sparks, moved Monday to delay appointing lawmakers to the newly-created tax study committee, protesting the fact not one Northern Nevada Democrat from either house was on the list of appointees.
"I feel we need a voice from the north on the Democratic side," she said. "You would be concerned if we were doing the reverse down there," she told Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, during the teleconference between Las Vegas and the capital.
Mathews asked for a motion to delay the appointments. That prompted Horsford to request a five minute recess.
Mathews disappeared to her office for a phone conversation with Horsford and other members of leadership in the south.
When she emerged nearly 30 minutes later, the tax study committee had expanded from 12 lawmakers to 16. In addition to putting Mathews and Sparks Assemblyman Bernie Anderson on the panel, Horsford and his Assembly counterparts agreed to add two more Republicans.
Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, recommended Dean Rhoads of Tuscarora to represent rural areas. Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert, R-Reno, was not in attendance and will make her final addition to the committee later.
The study is supposed to produce recommendations for the 2011 Legislature on how to overhaul Nevada's revenue generating system so that the state is less impacted by the periodic downturns in the state and national economies.
Raggio then raised the question of how the study will be funded since Gov. Jim Gibbons vetoed the legislation containing money for the project saying he is looking at the potential of dipping into the contingency fund for the money.
He was advised by staff a request for money will be submitted by the Legislative Commission to the Board of Examiners in September.
Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.