Lowden weighs in on special session

LAS VEGAS - Although the details of the special session next week remain murky, Gov. Jim Gibbons can be assured of at least some support of his call to cut state employees' and teachers' cost-of-living allowance increase. 

Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden released a statement this morning eschewing any talk of tax increases during this "severe economic downturn" and calling the scheduled COLA increase "unfairly and irresponsibly benefitting the government employees who work for [taxpayers]."

Friday, Gibbons announced that he would be calling for a special session of the legislature to address budget woes and that on the agenda would be a call to defer COLA increases for state employees and teachers.  Although the Nevada State Education Association and various news reports have estimated the increase as 4 percent, Lowden estimated the COLA increases as "nearly 10 percent."

"During these difficult times, it would send a horrible and defeating message to provide our state employees with a nearly 10 percent pay increase, while others are losing their homes, health care and jobs," Lowden said.

The Nevada Republican Party did not immediately return a request for Lowden's source.

While legislative Republican leaders and now the state party have fallen into line in arguing that deferring the COLA increase would prevent layoffs, Democrats have been critical of the governor's call, saying it is an unnecessary, costly political stunt to distract attention from media reports surrounding his divorce.