UNLV students to gather on Legislature steps to protest state budget cuts
UNLV students will amass on the steps of the State Legislature on the morning of the first day of the special session of the legislature. Students will arrive around 9am, February 23rd, to protest deep cuts to K-12 and higher education budgets which will mean the slashing of programs, classes and perhaps force the closure of entire campuses. The students will be wearing T-shirts with the letters “S.O.S” on them signifying “Save Our Schools.” Once they’ve finished their protest out in front, they’ll then go inside and attend sessions of the Assembly and Senate.
Critics of the cuts maintain that Nevada can no longer afford to spend so little on education when it’s education that will help Nevada lift itself out of the worst recession in the past 80 years, and a recession that has proven to be much harsher on Nevada than most other states. Many Nevadans, including leading lawmakers, are calling for higher taxes on the mining industry. Others are also calling for higher taxes on big gaming which has been making a handsome profit on their Macau and Singapore casino resorts, intercepting lucrative Asian clientele over there so they never have to fly half-way around the world just to gamble.
Governor Gibbons has demanded more cuts to the state budget along with his trademark “No New Taxes” pledge.