Assembly Joint Resolution No. 5–Assemblymen Hettrick, Perkins, Anderson, Andonov, Angle, Arberry, Atkinson, Beers, Brown, Buckley, Carpenter, Chowning, Christensen, Claborn, Collins, Conklin, Geddes, Gibbons, Giunchigliani, Goicoechea, Goldwater, Grady, Griffin, Gustavson, Hardy, Horne, Knecht, Koivisto, Leslie, Mabey, Manendo, Marvel, McClain, McCleary, Mortenson, Oceguera, Ohrenschall, Parks, Pierce, Sherer, Weber and Williams

 

FILE NUMBER..........

 

Assembly Joint RESOLUTION—Urging Congress to appropriate just compensation to State of Nevada for losses of revenue for public education from impact of land in Nevada held by Federal Government.

 

    Whereas, For many years, the State of Nevada, along with the

States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,

Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming,

have grappled with the challenge of providing the best education for

their residents; and

    Whereas, The State of Nevada and the other western states

face unique challenges in achieving this goal; and

    Whereas, From 1979 to 1998, the expenditures per pupil

increased approximately 28 percent in the western states, 34 percent

in the State of Nevada and 57 percent in the remaining states in the

Nation; and

    Whereas, In the 2000-2001 school year, the pupil-teacher ratio

in public schools was approximately 18 to 1 in the western states, 19

to 1 in the State of Nevada and 15 to 1 in the remaining states in the

Nation; and

    Whereas, The difficulty experienced by Nevada and the other

western states in providing quality education to their residents is

exacerbated by projections that enrollment in public schools from

2002 to 2011 is expected to increase by approximately 7 percent in

Nevada and the other western states and decrease by approximately

3 percent in the remaining states in the Nation; and

    Whereas, The ability of the State of Nevada and other western

states to fund public education is further hindered by and directly

related to the fact that the Federal Government holds large

percentages of the land located in those states; and

    Whereas, While states fund public education largely with

revenue earned from the assessment of state and local property

taxes, states cannot assess such property taxes on land in the state

held by the Federal Government; and

    Whereas, The State of Nevada and the other western states

face greater burdens than the remaining states in the Nation in

raising revenue from state and local property taxes to fund public

education as the Federal Government holds approximately 52

percent of the land located in the western states, 87 percent of the

land located in the State of Nevada and only 4 percent of the land

located in the remaining states; and

    Whereas, According to the Action Plan for Public Lands and

Education (APPLE) developed by the APPLE Steering Committee

established by Speaker Marty Stephens of the Utah House of

Representatives, the estimated annual loss of revenue from the

inability of a state to assess property taxes for public education on

land in the state held by the Federal Government is approximately

$4 billion in the western states and approximately $116 million in

the State of Nevada; and

    Whereas, The ability of the State of Nevada and other western

states to fund public education is also limited by the fact that the

Federal Government shares with states only a portion of the royalty

revenues that the Federal Government receives from the natural

resources on land in the state held by the Federal Government; and

    Whereas, The amount of such royalties received by states for

public education is further reduced because land held by the Federal

Government is less likely to be developed and federal laws often

place stipulations on the use of royalty payments made to states; and

    Whereas, According to the Action Plan for Public Lands and

Education (APPLE), the estimated annual loss of revenue as a result

of federal policies concerning royalty payments is approximately

$1.8 billion in the western states and approximately $6 million in

the State of Nevada; and

    Whereas, The Federal Government should compensate the

State of Nevada and other western states for the significant impact

of lands in those states held by the Federal Government; and

    Whereas, Just compensation provided by the Federal

Government to the State of Nevada and the other western states will

allow those states to be on equal footing with the rest of the Nation

in their efforts to provide education for their residents; now,

therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of

Nevada, Jointly, That the members of the Nevada Legislature

urge Congress to appropriate just compensation to the State of

Nevada for the losses of revenue for public education from the

impact of land held by the Federal Government within the

boundaries of the State of Nevada; and be it further

    Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and

transmit a copy of this resolution to the President of the United

States, Vice President of the United States as the presiding officer of

the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each

member of the Nevada Congressional Delegation; and be it further

    Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon

passage.

 

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