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Photo by Jean Dixon
Monday, January 24, 2005
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Remarks
by Governor Kenny C. Guinn to the 73rd
Session of the Nevada Legislature. |
News Archive
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1/25/05 - Guinn promises to boost health care,
education (LVSun)
1/24/05 -
Gov. Guinn details Nevada State of State, record
budget (RGJ)
1/24/05 -
Full text of Governor Guinn's State of the State
address (RGJ)
1/23/05 - Guinn:
Seeking a state of balance (RGJ)
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Highlights from
Governor Kenny C. Guinn's
2005 State of the State Address
Rainy Day Fund:
The Governor
proposes to increase the Fund to
$200 million to protect against
future economic challenges.
Taxpayer Rebate:
The
Governor proposes to rebate $300
million of our gaming and sales
tax surplus through rebates of
2004 DMV registrations, up to
$300 per vehicle.
Millennium Scholarship:
The Governor
proposes bonding unclaimed
property revenue to generate
$100 million to safeguard the
scholarships for the next
decade.
Higher Education:
The Budget
includes over $250 million in
new spending for faculty,
infrastructure and research for
the current and 7,000 new
students.
K-12 Education:
The Governor’s
budget includes over $500
million in new funding for
education to accommodate 35,000
new students. It also continues
funding for textbooks, supplies,
technology, teacher training,
signing bonuses and retention
pay.
Failing Schools Plan:
The Governor proposes $100
million be directed to schools
on failure and warning lists.
This money will be used to
address specific needs of
individual schools. Uses could
include full-day kindergarten,
ELL support, literacy
instruction and staff
development. It comes with
strict accountability and
focuses on the need for strong
leadership. Our "at-risk"
schools needs to be "no-risk"
schools.
Health & Human Services:
The
Governor's budget includes over
$275 million in new money for
important programs and services.
In total, $1.6 billion of the
general fund budget is dedicated
to this area. Over $100 million
is dedicated to mental health,
with $45 million targeted to
address the emergency room
crisis in Clark County. Money is
also dedicat4d to help the
mentally and physically disabled
better access services and stay
with their families and out of
state institutions.
The Governor continues or
expands funding for Senior RX
and the Nevada Checkup Up
insurance program for kids;
increases access to prenatal
care for expectant moms; and
funds a legislative proposal to
help small business employees
access private health insurance.
Health Care for All NV:
The budget
includes $11 million to support
new partnerships to fight cancer
and Alzheimer's. The money will
jump-start the joint work of the
University School of Medicine
and the Nevada Cancer Institute
and Ruvo Center for Alzheimer's
Care and Research.
The budget also
provides $4.5 million to fund 40
new residency and fellowship
slots at the Medical School to
train and keep more doctors in
Nevada.
Economic Development:
The Governor’s
budget supports the success of
our economic diversification in
our cities by funding the work
of NDA and EDAWN with $10
million in new grants. Rural
Nevada will receive an
additional $1 million to support
their economic development
efforts, and a renewed focus
from the Commissions on Tourism
and Economic Development
Transportation and DMV:
The Governor
funds nearly $1 billion in
transportation projects to build
new roadways, to address the
gridlock in our cities and
maintain our extensive highway
system.
DMV customers will continue to
enjoy shorter wait times and
have more technology options to
keep them out of line
altogether.
Public Employees:
The
Governor proposes a COLA of 2%
each year of the biennium for
state and university employees
and teachers. In addition,
correctional and public safety
officers and certain critical
positions will see a pay scale
increase of approx. 10%
In the second year, a portion of
teacher raises will be set-aside
for incentive pay for meeting
school progress benchmarks.
The
Governor proposes saving nearly
$500 million over the coming
years by no longer offering a
retiree health insurance subsidy
to new employees.
Housing Initiative:
The
Governor is proposing a bold new
plan to make homes more
affordable for hard working
Nevadans. The state will
acquire federal land and work
with private developers to build
new housing at a reasonable
cost. The price of the
home will not include the value
of the underlying land. |
Click here for the
HIGHLIGHTS
2005
State of the State Speech
Click here for the FULL-TEXT
2005
State of the State Speech
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Video)
