Last night, by a vote of 30-10, the Nevada state Assembly joined the Senate in approving a $1.5 billion tax hike over the next two years. Governor Sandoval sought at least $1.1 billion in new revenue to fund the expansion of Medicaid, higher education spending, and corporate handouts to companies like Tesla immediately after winning re-election last year. The legislature gave him even more than he asked for when the Senate sent him the tax hike bill this afternoon. 

When the question of whether Nevada should impose a margins tax on businesses in the state to fund increased education spending was put before Nevada voters last year, they rejected the “Education Initiative” by an 80-20 margin.

“The margins tax, if approved, will jeopardize Nevada’s recovery,” Gov. Sandoval said last year when he too opposed one of the worst elements of this year’s budget bill.

Gov. Sandoval told voters that he opposed tax hikes so that he could get re-elected. Unfortunately, the legislature let him get away with it.

Here’s a list of the tax hikes:

  • Higher state business license fee
  • Higher payroll/modified business tax
  • Higher payroll/modified business tax; even higher on mining
  • New “Uber” tax on ride-sharing customers
  • New tax on taxis and limousines
  • Higher Live Entertainment Tax on auto racing and concerts
  • A 125% increase in the cost of a pack of cigarettes
  • Higher tax on elk hunters car owners (registration fee)
  • Higher sales tax

 

Every Democrat in the Assembly and the following Republicans voted for the largest tax hike in Nevada history: John Hambrick (violated the Taxpayer Protection Pledge with yes vote), James Oscarson, David Gardner, Erv Nelson, P.K  O’Neill, Steven Silberkraus, Derek Armstrong, Glenn Trowbridge

None of them ran on raising taxes last year. All of them were elected and re-elected on false pretenses.

Assembly Republicans who voted against the tax hike included: Michele Fiore, Victoria Seaman, Brent Jones, Ira Hansen, Jill Dickman, Chris Edwards, Shelly Shelton, Robin Titus, Jim Wheeler and John Ellison. Senate Republicans who opposed the final bill included: Pete Goicoechea, James Settelmeyer, and Don Gustavson. 

“The leadership of both houses should be ashamed of themselves for forcing through the largest tax increase in history,” said Sen. Gustavson of the vote. 

ATR applauds those legislators who opposed Sandoval’s proposals and thanks them for standing with taxpayers by voting no.