Schneider, a small-business man, said one way for the state to save money would be to build a new office building in Southern Nevada to accommodate the Department of Business and Industry. A state-owned building would save rent in the long run and make the agency more convenient to use by the public, he said. Grant, a blackjack dealer, said he wants to pass legislation requiring health insurance companies to operate in a more timely manner. Some of the big health maintenance organizations don't pay medical bills on time, leading to problems for patients with collection companies and credit issues, he said. The other insurance issue is with auto coverage for younger drivers, he said.
Young drivers pay much higher rates for coverage regardless of their driving records.
Grant said he would abolish this practice, allowing a higher rate for adults under age 25 only in cases where it is appropriate from the driving record. Grant said he does not support the teacher-proposed tax, but said a gaming tax increase isn't out of the question. Casinos can afford to make big political contributions to candidates to keep gaming taxes off the agenda, so they could easily afford to pay more, he said. Neal's proposal is the wrong approach, however, because any gaming tax increase should be phased in, he said.