Nevadans demand action on mining tax to meet a growing state's needs

Over 30 years ago Governor Bob Miller stood up for Nevada’s children in his 1989 State of the State speech.

“Because of the mining industry’s unwillingness to pay its fair share, we may not have enough money to achieve some of the goals we have set for better preparing Nevada’s children for the future.”

So little has changed that this statement may as well have been said during the 2020 special session. During the special session, legislators passed the first step to mine revenue reform in light of devastating cuts to our schools and healthcare. Out of three mine revenue proposals to be heard in the 2021 legislative session, AJR-1 goes the farthest to modernize Nevada’s mine tax and directly address the issues at hand through earmarking revenue for healthcare and education.

Nevada has the 5th most regressive tax structure in the nation, meaning those with the least money pay the highest tax rates. For example, Nevadans making less than $20,500 a year pay over 10 percent of their daily income in taxes, while the mining industry pays less than 1 percent of their gross income into the state general fund.

Read more: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2021/02/24/nevadans-demand-action-on-mining-tax-to-meet-a-growing-states-needs/