$104,000 spent on furniture for Nevada Legislature

Friday, Jan. 15, 1999 | 11:52 a.m.

The purchases were made as Gov. Kenny Guinn cut $135 million from his proposed state budget because of lower-than-expected tax revenues.

The Legislature paid $550 for each desk for legislative committee leaders, $560 for their chairs and $230 for chairs for employees in their offices.

"I think we got good prices and good quality furniture," said Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

He said the new furniture was needed because lawmakers moved into larger offices at the end of the 1997 session, but not all offices were refurnished at the time.

About $78,000 was spent on new furniture for committee leaders and house leaders, while $26,000 went for chairs and sofas for the public throughout the hallways of the expanded building.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, paid the cost of his office furniture, Malkiewich said.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said she supports the purchase of furniture for the public, but not for the lawmakers who run committees.

"They got these giant new offices last time," Titus said. "I'm not sure they needed new furniture."

While stressing he wasn't criticizing committee leaders who sought new furniture, Senate Judiciary Chairman Mark James, R-Las Vegas, asked that no new furniture be purchased for his office.

James said he has used a prison inmate-built desk for four legislative sessions. He added that his sofa was left behind by former Sen. Hal Smith, R-Henderson, when Smith retired.

"It's an old blue couch," he said. "It's not plush. It was a hand-me-down."

Decisions to buy the furniture were made by Raggio, Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, and key staffers.