Lawmakers to handle public education, prisons budgets today

Legislative money committees take on two of the largest and most contentious budget issues today as they try to reach an agreement on spending for public schools and prisons.

Under the governor's proposed budget, the amount of money the state provides per pupil through the Distributive School Account " the largest single budget in the state at $2.9 billion over the biennium " would be reduced $355 below what the 2007 Legislature provided to $4,968.

One of the decisions they must make involves the percent pay cuts called for in the governor's budget. In handling state worker salaries Monday evening, they converted the pay cut into a one-day-per-month furlough " which works out to about a 4.6-percent cut over a year. But teacher salaries are collectively bargained.

Several members of leadership have said they will reduce the state appropriation to the Distributive School Account but will have to leave it to the individual school districts how they get that reduction in spending.

Other issues include the numerous reductions to education programs such as the elimination of the Regional Professional Development Program and teacher signing bonuses.

Within the prison budgets, the biggest issue is the subcommittee's decision to keep both Carson City's Nevada State Prison and the Tonopah Conservation Camp open.

The decision leaves the Department of Corrections $22 million-a-year out of balance. But it enables lawmakers to not fund construction of a new southern Nevada prison this session " a cost of some $200 million in bonds.

Director Howard Skolnik has said his biggest concern among the items cut from his budget is a warden position at High Desert Correctional Center in southern Nevada being divided into two prisons located next door to each other. But lawmakers thus far have said they believe one warden can handle both.

Hearings will begin at 8 a.m. on the education budgets in Room 3137 and the prison budgets in Room 2134.