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Senate Democrats to release tax plan Monday to raise $255 million
The state Senate Democratic caucus will release a tax plan Monday based on adjusting the Modified Business Tax to hit mining and larger businesses, a reliable source said today. The plan would raise the payroll tax to 2 percent on mining, making it commesurate with financial institutions. Every business with a quarterly payroll of more than $62,500 will pay 1.5 percent (it is now 1.17 percent). The source says the tax changes will result in $255 million over two years. Additional changes from the Economic Forum and other sources could get the plan to $310 million.
Las Vegas Metro chamber is homeless! Sort of
The Las Vegas Metro Chamber is vacating its Town Square office space to make way for a solar energy company that is moving here. That's according to a missive -- posted below -- that went out to members today. The company, SolarCity, announced in March it was moving to Nevada and was "scouting locations." I guess the scouts liked the chamber's digs.
Don't read this if your name is Shelley Berkley
Much has been written about how the Hispanic vote helped Democrats in 2012, from President Obama to many down-ticket races. It was certainly true in Nevada, where the Latino vote helped many candidates and almost elected Rep. Shelley Berkley to the U.S. Senate.
Cook Report: Nevada has gone blue, won't be critical in 2016
Cook Report National Editor Amy Walter has said what Republicans in Nevada have learned the hard way: Nevada is a blue state. In a piece posted Friday, Walter argues that Pennsylvania is the much better bet for the GOP in 2016. The headline on the email she sent out: Â "Sorry Nevada and Colorado: Pennsyvlania Is Key For GOP In 2016"
Nevada Democratic Party takes a stand -- for Nicolas Cage!
UPDATED WITH DEMOCRATIC PARTY COMMENT AT BOTTOM One day after Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick introduced a measure that would tax movie tickets, the state Democratic Party has a petition drive going to help film star/producer Nicolas Cage get a tax break. Indeed, the petition link to "Help us help Nicolas Cage" is at the top of the party's site. And there was a breathless pitch to the party's email list to sign, which I have pasted below.
ICYMI--My video rant about Nic Cage, tax breaks and tax policy
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Can lawmakers execute a quadruple bank shot to pass a tax plan?
UPDATE: I'm reliably told Democrats, as I reported previously on Twitter, are considering a corporate income tax component, perhaps on the ballot. The general idea is to use an expansion of the Modified Business Tax (payroll tax) as a bridge to a more stable solution. Can they pull it off? Imagine:
Admissions tax plan arrives
UPDATED ON 5/8 WITH BILL LANGUAGE--ATTACHED---IT COVERS JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING WHERE ENTERTAINMENT OCCURS. Â Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick this morning informed folks that her long-awaited admissions tax is finally drafted, setting a rate of 8 percent for all major venues. The current Live Entertainment Tax has a two-tiered rate, with some venues taxed at 10 percent and others at 5 percent, depending on capacity. I'm told the bill draft exempts only small venues under 50 seats, nonprofits and some government sites.
Nevada is a world away from thoughtful, sound policies
 This is the state we are in:
The mining tax cometh
Big tax day in Carson City: A few hours after Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick released her new admissions tax, Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson has released his Education Priority Act. (Or should I say I have a copy of it....) That's the one with the tax on mining. But embedded in the draft is also a short-lived increase on financial institutions to get the education rainy day fund going. ---- UPDATED: â–ºThe measure clearly outlines what a disaster the margins tax supposedly would be and poses this as an alternative, justifying it first: