Nevada Budget 101 A Primer for the 2017-2019 Biennium

Governor Brian Sandoval released his Executive Budget in January of 2017, as required by State law. The 79th (2017) Session of the Nevada Legislature convened shortly thereafter, on February 6, 2017, for its biennial 120-day regular session. During the session, legislators must approve a budget to finance the operations of the State for the upcoming biennium (2017-2019). The differences between the Governor’s proposed expenditures and legislators’ decisions regarding programmatic and administrative spending will be reconciled over the course of the session, culminating in five budget implementation bills.

This policy brief explains Nevada’s budget process—such as the role of the Economic Forum—and provides both a broad-based overview of budgetary sources and spending and a detailed account of revenues and proposed expenditures. It closes with a discussion of some of the uncertainties confronting the State Legislature as they make budgetary decisions, particularly the status of the Medicaid expansion and that of marijuana legalization.

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