taxes

Nevada's 81st regular legislative session convened in Carson City Monday. Over the next 120 days, lawmakers will craft and debate hundreds of bills and draft a state budget for the next two years. While that process can be tricky by itself, the legislative session is bringing a whole new set of challenges. KUNR Morning Edition host Noah Glick checks in with political editor Paul Boger to discuss what that might mean for the state.

Any one of three joint resolutions passed during the recent special session of the Nevada Legislature could ultimately change the way and rate at which mines are taxed in Nevada, and rural counties and mining companies are worried. As a warning, this story contains language that some readers may find offensive.

Lawmakers in Nevada ended their special session to address the state's massive budget shortfall over the weekend, passing just five bills in 12 days. To help us break down that legislation, and what it means for the state, we turn now to KUNR's Paul Boger and Lucia Starbuck, who covered the session in its entirety.

Marijuana taxes generated more than $8 million in August, setting another monthly record in Nevada. KUNR contributor Kaleb Roedel of the Northern Nevada Business View has the details. 

Sales tax revenues in Nevada are up, partly thanks to recreational pot. We sat down with Bill Anderson, executive director of the Nevada Department of Taxation, to break it all down.

So, the latest revenue numbers are in, and December marked the 90th straight month the state has seen growth in sales tax revenues. What does that mean, both for the state and for its general fund?

Nevada ranks ninth overall for being business-friendly. That's according to a newly published survey of CEOs. Reno Public Radio’s Noah Glick has more.

Nevada businesses need a more educated workforce. That was a major theme of Governor Brain Sandoval’s Conference on Business this week. Reno Public Radio’s Anh Gray has more.

Tray Abney is with The Chamber of Commerce of Reno, Sparks and Northern Nevada and he was among the business leaders and policymakers who attended the conference in downtown Reno. He says with Tesla and other new companies on their way to the region, established businesses are already seeing a boost.  

Governor Brian Sandoval's tax plan has cleared the Senate. Reno Public Radio's Michelle Bliss reports that the proposal now heads to the Assembly where it'll face tough opposition.

Only four senators voted against the proposal, while 17 came out in support. That's more than the required two-thirds majority vote needed, and it's a margin that surprised even Governor Sandoval.

The deadline to file taxes was this week and a new analysis examines exactly where Nevada's federal income tax dollars are going. 

Lindsay Koshgarian is a research director with the nonpartisan National Priorities Project, which tracks tax money and how it's spent. She says the average Nevada resident paid more than 12 thousand dollars in federal taxes last year, with the biggest chunk funding national defense.

In his State of the State address, Republican Governor Brian Sandoval promised bold action for Nevada’s struggling education system and outdated tax structure:

“We live in a state that is transforming before our eyes – with 21st Century companies, jobs and technologies that place us at the forefront of innovation and the new economy. Yet we still operate with decades-old funding systems and an education structure that will eventually grind us to an inevitable halt.”

KUNR is helping sponsor the Family Financial and Estate Planning Series, Sept. 16 - October 28. There's still time to join in and sign up for the remaining workshops. The series of free workshops are presented twice a year by the Community Foundation of Western Nevada and KNPB Channel 5 public television, as they have been for the past four years. 

Community Foundation president and CEO Chris Askin discussed the workshop series with David Stipech on Beyond the Headlines (broadcast 9-19-14). KUNR is helping sponsor this fall's series.