Heidi Gansert

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.

LAS VEGAS - Gov. Jim Gibbons' office announced today that the governor will hold an emergency budget meeting with legislative leaders and state officials on Thursday to discuss Nevada's worsening budget crisis.

"I believe we are in the midst of the worst fiscal crisis in the state's history," Gibbons said in a statement. "It's important that all state leaders are on the same page about where we stand and together we consider our options moving forward."

LAS VEGAS-A deal between the Nevada State Education Association and Station Casino, Harrah's and Wynn may have been reached in an attempt to kill a ballot initiative that would have raised the  gaming tax, but the state's political leaders haven't thrown their full support behind it yet. The Democratic leadership in the Assembly doesn't "anticipate any problems," but Republicans say they are waiting to see the details of the agreement before deciding whether to support any compromise to raise the room tax.

The deal, reached Monday right before a deadline to turn in petition signatures, reportedly kept a Teachers Union-supported 3 percent gaming tax increase initiative off the November ballot in return for gaming support of an up to 3 percent room tax increase instead, capped at 13 percent.

Although the compromise was reached with the help of the governor's office and Republican legislators, the governor's office and Republican leadership are holding off on supporting it until final details are released.

Assemblywoman Francis Allen (R-Las Vegas).LAS VEGAS-Despite a weekend arrest on charges of battery with a deadly weapon, Assemblywoman Francis Allen was back to work today, attending a meeting of the legislature's Information Technology Subcommittee in Las Vegas.

"She looked okay," said state Sen. Bob Coffin (D-Las Vegas).  "She didn't look like she had been through anything."

"She got there early and jumped right into it all.  She did ask questions and participated."

4th District Assembly candidate Richard McArthur speaks with Spring Mountain Republican Women treasurer Sharon Whittle Thursday.: Asked if she believes her group will support Republican Assemblywoman Francis Allen for reelection, Whittle replied "Oh God, no."LAS VEGAS-Once again this year, it appears that Assemblywoman Francis Allen (R-Las Vegas) will have to fend off a challenge from the right.  Richard McArthur, a retired FBI agent who ran against Allen in her first race in 2004, is challenging her again this year, arguing that he, and not Allen, is a true conservative.

"She's not conservative enough," said McArthur Thursday.  "She votes with the Democrats most of the time and she's had those other issues." 

The other issues McArthur referred to included Allen accepting free tickets to a Rolling Stones concert in 2005 from national mortgage lending company Ameriquest without either reporting the tickets on campaign finance forms or compensating Ameriquest, and a more recent incident in which Allen ordered approximately $8,000 worth of flowers from a Las Vegas florist only to later stop payment on the check.

"People are not real happy, I guess you could say, with her judgment," said McArthur.