Special sessions, libraries

The Nevada Legislature can meet for just 120 days every other year, a cap imposed by voters to limit the number of freedoms lawmakers can take away as well as the amount of damage they can do to the economy. If an emergency arises, only the governor has the power to call lawmakers into a special session.

Just six years ago, Nevada voters defeated Question 10, a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to call itself into session by a two-thirds vote - the same margin required to override any gubernatorial veto. But some lawmakers want to meet more often to pass lots more laws, making Nevada more like California or Illinois in the process. So the proposal is back again this year in the form of state Question No. 1.

Yes, Question 1 includes language limiting special sessions to "extraordinary occasions." But the words mean nothing - it's a totally subjective requirement. Nor does Question 1 set any limit on the number of times lawmakers could call themselves into 20-day special sessions, meaning the Legislature could effectively turn itself a full-time body.

AJR5 - which became Question 1 - was passed on a straight party-line vote, with only Democrats in support. Why? Democrats are likely to control the Assembly for the next decade, and Democrats currently control the Senate, as well. Let them capture as few as five more seats in this year's election and Question 1 could become a license for a veto-proof, Democrat-dominated Legislature that does anything it wants, year-round.

Special sessions of the Legislature should be few and far between, called by a governor who's accountable to all Nevada voters. Vote no on state Question 1.

Henderson voters get an additional question this year, Henderson Libraries Question No. 1. If passed, it would raise property taxes 2 cents per $100 in assessed value to boost the operating budgets at public libraries, not payroll. That amounts to an increase of about $10 per year for a $150,000 home.

Even with the proposed increase, Henderson's library tax rate would be lower than the Las Vegas-Clark County district (9.42 cents) and Boulder City (8.55 cents). And Henderson libraries have done a fine job maintaining some emphasis on actual books.

The housing crash and economic nosedive have resulted in a 30 percent loss of revenue for Henderson Libraries. Staff, salaries, hours and programs have already been cut, with libraries currently closed Sundays and Mondays. If this tax initiative fails, it's expected the Malcolm and Galleria branches will be closed.

Libraries are not dinosaurs in a digital age. They are vital to a community's intellectual health and literacy. Henderson voters would be well-advised to vote yes on local Question 1.