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.