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

 

March 10, 2003

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Referred to Committee on Elections, Procedures, and Ethics

 

SUMMARY—Urges 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. (BDR R‑1070)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                   Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

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.

 

1-1  Whereas, For many years, the State of Nevada, along with the

1-2  States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,

1-3  Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming,

1-4  have grappled with the challenge of providing the best education for

1-5  their residents; and

1-6  Whereas, The State of Nevada and the other western states

1-7  face unique challenges in achieving this goal; and

1-8  Whereas, From 1979 to 1998, the expenditures per pupil

1-9  increased approximately 28 percent in the western states, 34 percent

2-1  in the State of Nevada and 57 percent in the remaining states in the

2-2  Nation; and

2-3  Whereas, In the 2000-2001 school year, the pupil-teacher ratio

2-4  in public schools was approximately 18 to 1 in the western states, 19

2-5  to 1 in the State of Nevada and 15 to 1 in the remaining states in the

2-6  Nation; and

2-7  Whereas, The difficulty experienced by Nevada and the other

2-8  western states in providing quality education to their residents is

2-9  exacerbated by projections that enrollment in public schools from

2-10  2002 to 2011 is expected to increase by approximately 7 percent in

2-11  Nevada and the other western states and decrease by approximately

2-12  3 percent in the remaining states in the Nation; and

2-13      Whereas, The ability of the State of Nevada and other western

2-14  states to fund public education is further hindered by and directly

2-15  related to the fact that the Federal Government holds large

2-16  percentages of the land located in those states; and

2-17      Whereas, While states fund public education largely with

2-18  revenue earned from the assessment of state and local property

2-19  taxes, states cannot assess such property taxes on land in the state

2-20  held by the Federal Government; and

2-21      Whereas, The State of Nevada and the other western states

2-22  face greater burdens than the remaining states in the Nation in

2-23  raising revenue from state and local property taxes to fund public

2-24  education as the Federal Government holds approximately 52

2-25  percent of the land located in the western states, 87 percent of the

2-26  land located in the State of Nevada and only 4 percent of the land

2-27  located in the remaining states; and

2-28      Whereas, According to the Action Plan for Public Lands and

2-29  Education (APPLE) developed by the APPLE Steering Committee

2-30  established by Speaker Marty Stephens of the Utah House of

2-31  Representatives, the estimated annual loss of revenue from the

2-32  inability of a state to assess property taxes for public education on

2-33  land in the state held by the Federal Government is approximately

2-34  $4 billion in the western states and approximately $116 million in

2-35  the State of Nevada; and

2-36      Whereas, The ability of the State of Nevada and other western

2-37  states to fund public education is also limited by the fact that the

2-38  Federal Government shares with states only a portion of the royalty

2-39  revenues that the Federal Government receives from the natural

2-40  resources on land in the state held by the Federal Government; and

2-41      Whereas, The amount of such royalties received by states for

2-42  public education is further reduced because land held by the Federal

2-43  Government is less likely to be developed and federal laws often

2-44  place stipulations on the use of royalty payments made to states; and

3-1  Whereas, According to the Action Plan for Public Lands and

3-2  Education (APPLE), the estimated annual loss of revenue as a result

3-3  of federal policies concerning royalty payments is approximately

3-4  $1.8 billion in the western states and approximately $6 million in

3-5  the State of Nevada; and

3-6  Whereas, The Federal Government should compensate the

3-7  State of Nevada and other western states for the significant impact

3-8  of lands in those states held by the Federal Government; and

3-9  Whereas, Just compensation provided by the Federal

3-10  Government to the State of Nevada and the other western states will

3-11  allow those states to be on equal footing with the rest of the Nation

3-12  in their efforts to provide education for their residents; now,

3-13  therefore, be it

3-14      Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of

3-15  Nevada, Jointly, That the members of the Nevada Legislature

3-16  urge Congress to appropriate just compensation to the State of

3-17  Nevada for the losses of revenue for public education from the

3-18  impact of land held by the Federal Government within the

3-19  boundaries of the State of Nevada; and be it further

3-20      Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and

3-21  transmit a copy of this resolution to the President of the United

3-22  States, Vice President of the United States as the presiding officer of

3-23  the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each

3-24  member of the Nevada Congressional Delegation; and be it further

3-25      Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon

3-26  passage.

 

3-27  H