Hungry for a spot in government?

Tuesday, June 29, 1999 | 10:44 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- For those who yearn to volunteer for public service, now may be a good time.

The 1999 Legislature created a variety of new boards or task forces to cover such topics as health care, range-land management and school safety.

Gov. Kenny Guinn, Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, and Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, will carry most of the responsibility for finding candidates willing to serve.

For instance, there's the new 12-member committee to study financing of the University and Community College System of Nevada and whether the schools in Las Vegas are being shortchanged.

Guinn, Raggio and Dini each select three members and the regents name three representatives. In addition, the governor chooses one person from the state Budget Division and three from the university system to serve as nonvoting members.

There's the 11-member Commission on School Safety and Violence to study how to make the campuses more secure. Guinn names five members, and Raggio and Dini pick three members each.

In a few of the new commissions or committees, the governor must meet certain criteria in his appointments. On the 15-member task force on public medical services, Guinn names nine members to examine what benefits should be included as a basic part of a health insurance policy. He must select one state representative with health care experience and one member each from the Nevada State Medical Association, the Culinary Union, the insurance industry, Nevadans for Affordable Health Care, Nevada Public Health Foundation, the Nevada Women's Lobby, the Association of Health Plans and the public.

In addition, Guinn said Monday, he has still to fill out his Cabinet and make appointments to the scores of existing boards and commissions -- a task that will take top priority.

A replacement will be named this week for the state Ethics Commission to succeed Chairwoman Mary Boetsch, whose term expires Wednesday, Guinn's legal counsel, Scott Scherer, said.

"We've got a lot of appointments coming up," Guinn said. "We're looking at the diversity, experience and regional representation.

"We want to take time to get active people on there," he said.

The governor also has to replace the late Dan Tom, director of the state Department of Business and Industry; fill the new health ombudsman position created by the Legislature; name a replacement for Nevada Gaming Commission member Bill Curran, who leaves after the July meeting; and find a replacement for District Judge Joseph Pavlikowski of Las Vegas, who is retiring.

The Legislature enlarged the state Tourism Board by two members who will be appointed by the governor; there are two additional members on the commission on drug and alcohol abuse to be selected by Guinn; and the committee on benefits, which oversaw the near-bankrupt state employees health insurance program, was abolished and replaced by a nine-member board on Public Employees Benefits, all to be named by Guinn.

In addition, Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, said nearly 30 other legislative committees must be filled.

Malkiewich has sent a letter to lawmakers asking for their preference, if any, for serving on committees that work between sessions.

The Legislative Commission will meet Aug. 19 to make appointments to most of these committees.