Las Vegas NowStrange Budget Battle Brews in Carson City

Strange Budget Battle Brews in Carson City

Faced with the worst budget shortfall in state history, lawmakers have been forced into late night tax sessions as they try to hammer out a plan before Friday's deadline. It's a deadline of a different sort -- a veto deadline.

If the lawmakers don't pass the $780 million tax plan by 5 p.m. Friday, it's unlikely they will be able to get done on time. There is also the possibility of Governor Jim Gibbons' massive cuts to state spending becoming reality.

It may be tough to understand sitting 428 miles away from the action in Carson City, but this political end game is one for the ages.

"I have never seen anything like it in all the years that I've covered the legislature," said I-Team Political Analyst Jon Ralston.

Ralston is among a growing chorus who think this year is the weirdest yet. "I'm tired. I got an hour and a half of sleep last night," said State Senator Warren Hardy.

Take the case of Senator Hardy. Wednesday night bled well into the morning for Hardy and other Republicans. They want to roll back the state retiree system and scale back payments, fearing the cost could bankrupt the state. They want that in exchange for votes on $780 million in new taxes.

"We cannot support tax increases at this time if we don't have some reforms," he said.

So Wednesday night, or rather Thursday morning, Democratic leaders were fed up with the impasse and blocked Republicans from leaving. Hardy had to go to the bathroom and couldn't. "That's tempers getting short -- frustrations coming out," he said. "I didn't think that was helpful last night."

Ralston says the final hours are critical. Lawmakers must a pass tax package and appease all sides by Friday afternoon, or else. "You've got this time crunch where you got to get this bill over to the governor by Friday or time may run out on the legislators and they're going to have to live with his budget," he said.

It's crucial timing on the biggest bill of them all -- higher payroll taxes, more sales tax, and a chance to fix the state's budget hole. Time is ticking down hundreds of miles away.

Lawmakers are going to be at it again late Thursday night. Because of the late start, everything was delayed, so a planned 10 a.m. floor session got started just after 4 p.m.