Bible named to ethics panel

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1998 | 10:41 a.m.

Before state Gaming Control Board Chairman Bill Bible stepped down last Friday, he said he wanted to stay active. Tuesday he got his wish.

Bible, who is prohibited from working in the gaming industry for a year, has found work in the form of a part-time job as a member of the state Ethics Commission, which this year has been exceptionally active looking into the actions of members of the Clark County Commission and Las Vegas City Council.

On Tuesday, Gov. Bob Miller named Bible to the Ethics Commission, succeeding Helen Chisolm of Las Vegas.

Miller said Bible "is regarded throughout Nevada and the nation as a man of unscrupulous integrity." He served 27 years in government, the past 10 as chairman of the control board.

"After performing one of Nevada's toughest jobs for 10 years, I knew that full-time retirement would be too much for Bill to handle, so I offered him another tough assignment. Fortunately for Nevada, he accepted," the governor said.

Ethics Commissioners are paid $80 a day plus per diem.

As chairman of the Gaming Control Board, Bible was chief regulator of the Nevada's largest industry during its period of greatest expansion.

Bible was appointed to the board by Miller in 1989, the year the Mirage hotel-casino opened. He has presided over the start of the Las Vegas megaresort era, working on applications for resorts like the MGM Grand, Excalibur, the Luxor, Treasure Island and the Silver Legacy in Northern Nevada.

Bible, 54, began his career in state government in 1971, when he became a top budget aide under Gov. Mike O'Callaghan. Bible was promoted to state budget director under Gov. Richard Bryan, and later ran Bryan's successful U.S. Senate campaign.

The Ethics Commission this year has looked into the activities of several local officials, bringing them before the board for hearings, including Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones. She was cleared of accusations that she used her influence to deny a restaurant's business license in favor of her husband and his business partners, who opposed the establishment.

Two Clark County commissioners, Chairwoman Yvonne Atkinson Gates and Lance Malone were disciplined by the Ethics Commission for their roles in awarding contracts to concessionaires at McCarran International Airport. Gates and Malone were accused of not disclosing relationships with concessionaire applicants.

Las Vegas City Councilman Gary Reese was disciplined by the Ethics Commission for voting in favor of a project involving a friend. He is appealing that ruling.

SUN REPORTER Ed Koch contributed to this report.