Gibbons calls emergency budget meeting

Expected attendees include Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie (D-Reno) in place of Speaker Barbara Buckley (D-Las Vegas), Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert (R-Reno), Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio (R-Reno), Senate Minority Leader Steven Horsford (D-Las Vegas), state Treasurer Kate Marshall, state Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto and Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki.

Gibbons spokesman Ben Kieckhefer said they will discuss possible spending cuts as well as additional revenue sources like the lieutenant governor's latest proposal to sell the state's tobacco settlement funds.

Kieckhefer described the governor's office as "skeptical" of Krolicki's proposal, saying they were concerned about the costs involved and the loss of future revenue.

The governor's office is projecting an additional shortfall of $67.5 million dollars in the current budget and falling General Fund revenue in the coming biennium.

"We're looking at filling a budget hole," said Kieckhefer. "Either more revenue or less spending.  We'll have to evaluate where we stand."

Gibbons has held to a "no new taxes" pledge made during his 2006 campaign and Kieckhefer would not discuss other sources of revenue besides the tobacco settlement.

"If there are other ideas out there, that would be great," Kieckhefer said.