Mining tax initiative fails to get signatures

The ballot question designed to make mining companies pay more taxes won't be put before voters this November.

Bob Fulkerson, director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, announced Monday the group failed to raise the necessary 97,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The petition would have asked voters to change the Nevada Constitution to provide at least a 5 percent tax on gross proceeds of mines instead of the current tax of 5 percent or less of net proceeds.

Fulkerson said that would have raised up to $250 million a year to spend on schools and social services.

Fulkerson blamed legal delays by the mining companies who took PLAN to court in an attempt to block the petition drive.

But Fulkerson said PLAN isn't giving up on the idea of making mining pay more to support the state.

"We will take this fight to the 2011 Legislature so that mining's mercenaries will not shut down debate and evade paying their fair share," he said. "Foreign-owned gold mining corporations haul billions upon billions of dollars in profits from Nevada lands every year while Nevada goes broke."

When the petition was first filed, spokesmen for the mines said mining is willing to pay more to the state but doesn't want an industry-specific tax.

"We will pay a profits tax. We will pay an employment tax," said lobbyist Jim Wadhams when the petition drive was announced in March.