Honeymoon over for Gov. Guinn

Brendan Riley

Thursday, Feb. 18, 1999 | 12:31 p.m.

CARSON CITY -- New governors often get a break from critics during their first month or so in office. Judging from events this week at the Nevada Legislature, the honeymoon's over for GOP Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Those events include today's announcement by Assembly Democrats that they want big changes in Guinn's "Millenium Scholarship" plan, a highlight of his state of the state speech last month.

The Democrats' proposal continues a focus on education quality in Nevada that state schools chief Mary Peterson brought up Tuesday when she harshly criticized budget proposals of the "education governor."

Peterson told lawmakers that Guinn's budget threatens education reforms by providing no money for teacher training or for test development to see if students are performing up to new math, science and English standards.

She added there's not enough money in the Department of Education budget to even administer the high school proficiency test, a tougher exam Nevada students must pass to get a high school diploma, she added.

Another major highlight of Guinn's state of the state address was a proposal to privatize prison medical services, close one southern Nevada prison and shift inmates to another prison that's being built now.

But Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, reminded state Prisons Director Bob Bayer on Tuesday that the Cold Creek facility is over budget, behind schedule and doesn't even have a first-phase plans for a fence.

Bayer assured the legislators that fences and towers will be in place before the prison opens. But money for the fence is in second-phase funding that hasn't been approved yet.

Assembly Ways and Means Chairman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas, flatly told Bayer to come up with an alternative to closing the prison at Jean, adding, "Don't just tell us this is it and we have to eat it."

And when Bayer complained that staffers leaked information on his medical privatization plan to lawmakers, Giunchigliani accused him of "b.s." and said he failed to give her the information himself despite a request to do so.

Lawmakers were skeptical Wednesday of Guinn's high estimate of costs to expand a Medicaid program so more disabled people could avoid institutionalization and remain at home, and called for a second estimate.

Fueling their concerns were criticisms from advocates for the disabled that a typical tactic by politicians in a tight budget year is to kill such proposals by presenting a bogus cost estimate.

Wait, there's more:

Top Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, showed up at a hearing Wednesday to support a bill to limit the governor's appointment power.

The measure would give the Senate the power to review and approve gubernatorial appointees - and runs counter to Guinn's plea in his state of the state speech for more executive-branch leeway in running state government.

And while Guinn won a key Assembly vote on Wednesday to take over the hemorrhaging health insurance system for state workers, a state employees' spokesman said the eventual result could be disastrous for the workers.

Bob Gagnier of the State of Nevada Employees Association said the change would give workers less influence over their own health plan, and even lose their choice of health care providers if Guinn tries to cut the health plan's expenses by turning it "into a giant HMO."

Guinn's chief of staff, Pete Ernaut, said the developments "come with the territory. Certainly, when the governor brings his budget over it creates an atmosphere in which everyone can armchair-quarterback and disagree with his plan."

"It's normal. We're not too exercised about it," he added. "We're patient and confident that his package will be passed and it will be a very productive session. We don't think we've taken a nick."

"If people didn't disagree, we wouldn't need a legislature.