AFSCME

Nevada Senate Minority Leader Steven Horsford (D-Las Vegas).: Horsford said Friday that the governor's call for a special session was an unnecessary 'political maneuver.'LAS VEGAS - Following Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons' surprise announcement Friday that he would call for a special session of the state legislature to address Nevada's budget crisis, state Republicans swung into line behind the governor in arguing that choices are limited between either deferring state employees' cost-of-living allowance increases or laying off workers.

Nevada Democrats and labor unions condemned the call, however, saying a special session is not necessary and disputing the need for a COLA deferment.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio (R-Reno) led the way in supporting the governor, first suggesting the COLA deferment in the governor's release Friday morning.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has sent nearly 100 staffers to Nevada to help Hillary Clinton, causing Culinary Workers Local 226 head D. Taylor – since last week a Barack Obama supporter – to complain the AFSCME might be violating some election laws. The Federal Election Commission allows unions to communicate only with their own members on union time, and AFSCME has about 3,000 members in Nevada. It’s hard to believe each staffer is spending their day talking to thirty people.