Nevada mining industry’s fate to be decided by vote on taxation

Laura Martin, a spokesperson for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, speaks at a rally for fair mining taxes in front of the Legislative Building on Feb. 14, 2013, in Carson City, Nev. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)
Laura Martin, a spokesperson for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, speaks at a rally for fair mining taxes in front of the Legislative Building in Carson City, Nev. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)

By Elaine Bassier
Elko Daily Free Press

When it comes to mining in Nevada, how much a person knows about the industry and the part of the state they live in seem to have the most influence on their opinions about the industry.

Senate Joint Resolution 15, passed by the Legislature, proposes to repeal a constitutional mining industry tax rate of five percent. Voters will decide in November if lawmakers should be able to adjust the tax rate without amending the Nevada Constitution.

Proponents of SJR15 claim the mines have profited in billions of dollars without paying a fair share of taxes. Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada says that “every year the industry takes billions in gold and other hardrock minerals without compensating taxpayers as a whole.”

PLAN also uses SJR15 as a platform to address other concerns about mining, especially the effect on environment.

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