State Senators are deliberating drastic education cuts proposed by the governor after their counterparts in the Assembly held party lines in similar talks last week.
Democrats say Gov. Brian Sandoval's budget reduces per-pupil spending in Nevada's K-12 schools by $518 from the 2009 legislative session, or $315 from the 2010 special session.
The Nevada System of Higher Education would lose $162 million in state funding. Cuts would bring layoffs, elimination of certain academic programs, closure for satellite campuses and consolidations.
Senate Republicans said they support the governor's plan and don't want to ask taxpayers to pay more into an underperforming system.
Both the Assembly and Senate have met in large Committees of the Whole to hear about and take non-binding votes on the most contentious parts of the budget.
