Nevada lawmakers quickly allocate extra $44M in revenue
CARSON CITY — Poof!
Two days after lawmakers cheered an updated revenue projection of $44 million more for the current budget year, bills introduced in the Senate and Assembly to cover shortfalls will gobble it all up.
The biggest chunk is $22 million for the Distributive School Account, a result of an “unanticipated increase” in K-12 student enrollment for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years.
Nevada operates on a two-year budget cycle.
The supplemental school appropriation contained in Senate Bill 522 was one of nine bills introduced Wednesday in the Senate to cover budget shortfalls for the current budget period that ends June 30.
The Nevada Division of Forestry is seeking $7 million for “higher-than-anticipated costs” for fire suppression and emergency response, due to an active fire season and flooding across Northern Nevada this winter.
Nevada Child and Family Services projects a shortfall of more than $340,000, the bulk from Clark County, to cover adoption subsidies.
Other bills seek smaller amounts, but the total Senate bills add up to $30.1 million.
On Tuesday, five supplemental budget bills were introduced in the Assembly.
The biggest are $16.4 million to cover additional expenses due to larger than expected Medicaid caseloads, and $1.3 million for unbudgeted outside medical care for prison inmates.
Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3821. Follow @SandraChereb on Twitter.