April 21, 2010

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today made the following statement on the release of the Senate Budget Committee Chairman’s mark for the fiscal year 2011.  Included in the Chairman’s mark is language requested by Reid declining the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) request to permanently repeal counties’ share of revenue from geothermal development on public lands:

“I’m pleased that the Budget Committee agreed to my request and included language in the Chairman’s mark for the 2011 budget to retain the counties’ share of revenue from geothermal development on public lands.  While this isn’t the last step necessary to protect the counties’ share during the appropriations process, it is an important one.  These revenues are critical to rural counties in Nevada and at least five other Western states, and I will continue doing all I can to ensure they are protected.”

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