House approves bill to name federal courthouse after judge

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 1998 | 1:41 a.m.

The bill, introduced by Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, both D-Nev., passed the Senate last summer. It was then referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and finally introduced in the House on Wednesday.

George, 67, on the federal bench since 1984, took senior status in December.

Prior to his 1984 appointment by President Ronald Reagan, George was a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge. During his tenure, George, who has served as chief judge of the district, saw a massive increase in Nevada's federal caseload and has been pushing hard for more federal judges here.

"Now that the House has acted on this bill, Judge George will finally get the recognition he deserves," Reid said. "No one on the bench in Nevada has received more praise for his work and sense of fairness than Chief Judge George."

Congress has appropriated $97 million for the new courthouse, to be constructed on a site where a Japanese businessman had once planned to build a high-rise office building.

The Minami project stalled years ago, and the land has been sitting vacant.

The new courthouse will replace the outdated and overcrowded Foley Federal Building, and is set to be completed before the end of 2000.