Statutory Initiative

NSEA, in partnership with leaders of the gaming community, filed the measures in Carson City to increase the hotel room tax.  The statutory initiative filed would raise the room tax by up to 3% in the largest counties in Nevada for the support of public education.

Once we have gathered the required signatures--more than 58,000 statewide by November 1--the statutory initiative will go to the legislature in 2009.

Leaders of Nevada’s most important industry and Nevada’s educators have joined together to bring this issue to the legislature. We hope and expect that the legislature will act quickly to enact this initiative to support our schools.

If the legislature, for whatever reason, doesn’t act on the initiative within 40 days we are confident the overwhelming public support that has been expressed for this issue will be displayed at the ballot box in 2010. This guarantees that if the legislature does not act on this proposal the voters of Nevada will have their say.

We intend to engage in a comprehensive and extensive campaign that will educate and inform voters about the initiative and the importance and logic of this solution. While we have not yet encountered any severe opposition, we will be ready for a vigorous debate.

Advisory Question

The Advisory Question filed would simply ask the voters in Clark County if they would support a 3% increase in the hotel room tax to support public education.  Passage of this question would send a strong message to Nevada's legislators to support a room tax at the beginning of the legislative session.  An Advisory Question will soon be filed in Washoe County that will ask voters the same question.

If you have any questions, please contact NSEA President Lynn Warne at lynn.warne@nsea-nv.org.

For more detailed information on the Statutory Initiative and Advisory Question click here.