Gibbons holds 3rd talk with lawmakers on budget

CARSON CITY (AP) - Gov. Jim Gibbons will meet with state lawmakers today to talk about Nevada's budget crisis. The Republican governor has been holding what he calls "open office hours" every two weeks, inviting lawmakers to share their ideas about how to deal with the budget shortfall now projected at around $1 billion.

Gibbons on Monday said he will deliver a special State of the State address on Feb. 8, during which he will call for a special session of the Legislature and outline his budget plans.

The governor last month asked agency heads to prepare for cuts of up to 10 percent. But that was before the state's Economic Forum slashed projected revenues for the rest of the two-year budget cycle.