CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - The Latest on a Nevada Legislature special session to consider raising taxes for an NFL stadium and convention center expansion (all times local):
4:43 p.m.
A bill clearing the way for a sales tax increase to fund more than 300 police hires has unanimously passed its final major vote.
State senators voted 21-0 on Thursday to approve Assembly Bill 1. The bill already passed the Assembly in a 35-7 vote and heads to the governor for a signature.
The measure authorizes the Clark County Commission to raise sales tax in the county by 0.1 percentage point.
The $39 million the tax hike is expected to raise each year would go southern Nevada police forces based on permanent and visitor populations.
Assembly opponents said they feared the sales tax is creeping up and burdening the poor, and raised concerns that the money was too targeted to patrol officers and not highway patrol or back-office police employees.
10 a.m.
A bill clearing the way for a sales tax increase to fund more than 300 police hires has passed its first key vote.
Lawmakers voted 35-7 on Thursday to approve Assembly Bill 1, with Democrats and Republicans among the opponents. The bill now heads to the Senate.
The measure authorizes the Clark County Commission to raise sales tax in the county by 0.1 percentage point.
The $39 million that the tax hike is expected to raise each year would go southern Nevada police forces based on permanent and visitor populations.
Opponents said they feared the sales tax is creeping up and burdening the poor, or raised concerns that the money was too targeted to patrol officers and not highway patrol or back-office police employees.
8:55 a.m.
The Nevada Assembly is considering clearing the way for a sales tax increase that would allow more than 300 police hires.
Lawmakers reconvened their special session Thursday after their one-day Yom Kippur holiday break. They’re expected to vote on Assembly Bill 1.
The measure authorizes the Clark County Commission to raise sales tax in the county by 0.1 percentage point.
The $39 million that’s expected to raise each year would go to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and other municipalities based on their permanent population and the visitor count in the Las Vegas Strip area.
Authorities say they have a lower ratio of officers to residents than they’d like because of population growth and the economic downturn.
The bill needs a simple majority vote to pass.
2:49 a.m.
Lawmakers are resuming their work on a plan to raise hotel taxes to fund a Las Vegas stadium and convention center expansion.
The Nevada Legislature took a one-day break from its special session in observance of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur and is set to restart its business on Thursday.
The Assembly needs to vote on a bill that allowing the Clark County Commission to raise sales tax by one-tenth of one percent to hire more police officers. Then they need to vet a bill to raise nearly $1.2 billion to fund the NFL stadium and convention center.
The Senate already voted 16-5 in favor of supporting the projects, while the Assembly hasn’t taken any votes.
It’s not clear when lawmakers will finish, although special sessions typically last several days.
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